The Advocate 03-10-2025

LSU

MID CITY TARDY GRAS

TOP: The Baton Rouge BeignYAYS dance down North Boulevard in the Mid City Gras parade on Sunday. Rain postponed Mid City’s celebration originally set for Feb. 23.

MIDDLE RIGHT: Paradegoers wave as the Mid City Gras parade passes.

RIGHT: The Hotsteppers dance in the parade on Sunday

Louisiana wildlife chief to take a top job at ICE

BY ALYSE PFEIL | Staff writer

Madison Sheahan, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, is leaving to take a top role in Immigration and Customs Enforcement in President Donald Trump’s administration, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Sunday morning Sheahan will serve as deputy director, Noem said.

“It’s no surprise that President @realDonaldTrump has

tapped Madison Sheahan to help lead the Immigration, Customs, and Enforcement Agency,” Gov Jeff Landry said in a post on social media platform X “I look forward to working with Madison in her new role.”

Landry said the department’s deputy secretary, Tyler Bosworth, “will be detailed to handle the responsibilities of the Secretary until Madison assumes her official role.”

ä See SHEAHAN, page 6A

Madison Sheahan, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, is leaving to take a top role in Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Raises for La. teachers would come at a cost, critics say

Vote on constitutional amendment is March 29

BY ELYSE CARMOSINO | Staff writer

Louisiana residents will vote March 29 on a constitutional amendment that may seem cut-and-dry: Permanently raise teacher pay by $2,000 and support staff pay by $1,000. Louisiana teacher salaries are much lower than their counterparts in other states, and, despite years of promised raises, they’ve only received one-time stipends the past two years. Gov Jeff Landry has strongly expressed support for increasing educator pay, saying in November that doing so would be “a much-deserved win for our unsung heroes.”

“The truth is, we have the money to pay our teachers properly,” he said, “if we make the changes to unshackle ourselves from the bad decisions of the past.”

But there’s a trade-off: If voters approve the constitutional change, known as Amendment 2, to free up money for teacher pay, it would mean diverting millions of dollars that help fund education efforts throughout the state each year including early education programs and scholarships for aspiring teachers.

“This is not free money,” said Jan Moller, executive director of Invest in Louisiana, a nonpartisan research and policy think tank that opposes the proposed amendment. Though state leaders have said they will likely be able to find other funding for some

ä See RAISES, page 6A

Mayor-president has made it priority to provide more homeless services Edwards

McCAHILL | Staff writer

of a mental health crisis he vowed to address on the campaign trail “It’s an enormous issue,” Edwards said in a recent interview “The people that are on the

ä See CHALLENGES, page 4A

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Musk calls on U.S. to pull out of NATO

Billionaire Elon Musk threw his weight behind a U.S exit from NATO, saying on his social media platform that it “doesn’t make sense for America to pay for the defense of Europe.”

The senior adviser to President Donald Trump was responding to a post on X early Sunday that asserted the U.S. should “Exit NATO *now*!”

“We really should,” the Tesla Inc. co-founder and chief executive officer said.

On March 3, Musk wrote on X he agreed with a suggestion by a conservative commentator that the U.S. should leave both NATO and the United Nations.

Musk’s comments comes at a time when the future of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which will mark its 76th anniversary in April, hangs in the balance.

NBC reported on Thursday that Trump had discussed with aides calibrating U.S. engagement with NATO in a way which favors members of the alliance that spend a certain percentage of their gross domestic product on defense.

Speaking to reporters the same day Trump said he told NATO allies that if they’re not going to pay their bills, he won’t defend them.

“It’s common sense, right?”

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “If they don’t pay, I’m not going to defend them. No, I’m not going to defend them.”

Within NATO, Europe — which largely disarmed after the Cold War — is reliant on the U.S for communications, intelligence and logistics as well as strategic military leadership and firepower European Union leaders met in Brussels for an emergency summit last week with a view to massively increase defense spending.

Authorities: Armed man shot by Secret Service

WASHINGTON An armed man believed to be traveling from Indiana was shot by U.S. Secret Service agents near the White House after a confrontation early Sunday, according to authorities. No one else was injured in the shooting that happened around midnight about a block from the White House, according to a Secret Service statement. President Donald Trump was in Florida at the time of the shooting.

The Secret Service received information from local police about an alleged “suicidal individual” who was traveling from Indiana and found the man’s car and a person matching his description nearby

“As officers approached, the individual brandished a firearm and an armed confrontation ensued, during which shots were fired by our personnel,” the Secret Service said in a statement.

The man was hospitalized. The Secret Service said his condition was “unknown.”

Sheriff: Atlanta teacher’s body found in lake

ATLANTA The body of an Atlanta teacher and coach who vanished last month while boating on Georgia’s Lake Oconee has been recovered from waters not far from where his fiancee was found dead shortly after their outing, a sheriff told news outlets Sunday Sheriff Howard Sills of Putnam County told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Gary Jones’ body was found on Sunday afternoon in about 45 feet of water on the popular tourist lake southeast of Atlanta. The discovery was made not far from where the body of Jones’ fiancee, Spelman College instructor Joycelyn Wilson, was found a day after the two went missing on Feb. 8, the newspaper reported. It comes a month to the day that Wilson’s body was recovered in the vicinity of where Jones’ empty two-seater fishing boat and his sneakers were found floating.

Sills said Jones’ body was found by Wisconsin searchand-recovery expert Keith Cormican, who was brought in by Jones’ family over the weekend and used sophisticated underwater sonar in his effort, the newspaper reported.

Trump downplays tariff concerns

Businesses worry about uncertainty, prospect of higher prices

BY ZEKE MILLER AP White House correspondent

— President

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.

Donald Trump is dismissing business concerns over the uncertainty caused by his planned tariffs on a range of American trading partners and the prospect of higher prices, and isn’t ruling out the possibility of a recession this year

After imposing and then quickly pausing 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada that sent markets tumbling over concerns of a trade war Trump said his plans for broader “reciprocal” tariffs will go into effect April 2, raising them to match what other countries assess.

“April 2, it becomes all reciprocal,” he said in a taped interview with Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures.” “What they charge us, we charge them.”

Asked about the Atlanta Fed’s warning of an economic contrac-

tion in the first quarter of the year, Trump seemingly acknowledged that his plans could affect U.S growth. Still, he claimed, it would ultimately be “great for us.”

When questioned whether he was expecting a recession in 2025, Trump responded: “I hate to predict things like that. There is a period of transition because what

we’re doing is very big. We’re bringing wealth back to America.

That’s a big thing.” He then added,

“It takes a little time. It takes a little time.”

On Wall Street, it was a tough week with wild swings dominated by worries about the economy and uncertainty about what Trump’s tariffs.

Trump brushed aside concerns from businesses seeking stability as they make investment decisions. He said that “for years the globalists, the big globalists have been ripping off the United States” and that now, “all we’re doing is getting some of it back, and we’re going to treat our country fairly.”

“You know, the tariffs could go up as time goes by and they may go up and, you know, I don’t know if it’s predictability,” the Republican president said.

Trump last week lifted the Mexico and Canada tariffs on American car manufacturers, and then virtually all imports to the U.S., but kept them on goods from China.

More tariffs are coming this week, with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick telling NBC’s “Meet the Press” that 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports will take effect Wednesday Lutnick said Trump’s threatened tariffs on Canadian dairy and lumber though would wait until April.

“Will there be distortions? Of course,” Lutnick said “Foreign goods may get a little more expensive. But American goods are going to get cheaper, and you’re going to be helping Americans by buying American.”

Israel cuts off electricity supply to Gaza

Desalination plant producing drinking water affected

BY MELANIE LIDMAN and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

TEL AVIV, Israel Israel cut off the electricity supply to Gaza, officials said Sunday, affecting a desalination plant producing drinking water for part of the arid territory Hamas called it part of Israel’s “starvation policy.”

Israel last week suspended supplies of goods to the territory of more than 2 million Palestinians, an echo of the siege it imposed in the earliest days of the war

Israel is pressing the militant group to accept an extension of the first phase of their ceasefire. That phase ended last weekend.

Israel wants Hamas to release half of the remaining hostages in return for a promise to negotiate a lasting truce

Hamas instead wants to start negotiations on the ceasefire’s more difficult second phase, which would see the release of remaining hostages from Gaza, the withdrawal of Israeli forces and a lasting peace.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEHAD ALSHRAFI

Displaced Palestinian girls fill a plastic jerrycan with water on Sunday at a school run by UNRWA, the U.N. agency helping Palestinian refugees, which they use as a shelter west of Gaza City

Hamas is believed to have 24 living hostages and the bodies of 35 others.

The militant group — which has warned that discontinuing supplies would affect the hostages — said Sunday that it wrapped up the latest round of ceasefire talks with Egyptian mediators without changes to its position.

Israel has said it would send a delegation to Qatar on Monday in an effort to “advance” the negotiations.

Israel had warned when it stopped all supplies that water and electricity could be next The letter from Israel’s energy minister to the Israel Electric Corporation tells it to stop selling

power to Gaza.

The territory and its infrastructure have been largely devastated, and most facilities, including hospitals, now use generators. Hamas spokes person Hazem Qassam said that Israel has “practically” cut off electricity since the war began and called the latest decision part of Israel’s “starvation policy, in clear disregard for all international laws and norms.”

The desalination plant was providing 18,000 cubic meters of water per day for central Gaza’s Deir alBalah area, according to Gisha, an Israeli organization dedicated to protecting Palestinians’ right to

ICE arrests Palestinian student who helped lead Columbia protests

BY JAKE OFFENHARTZ Associated Press

NEW YORK Federal immigration authorities arrested a Palestinian graduate student who played a prominent role in last spring’s anti-Israel protests at Columbia University, according to his attorney. Mahmoud Khalil was inside his university-owned residence Saturday night near Columbia’s Manhattan campus when several Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents entered the building and took him into custody, his attorney, Amy Greer, told The Associated Press. Greer said she spoke by phone with one of the ICE agents during the arrest, who said they were acting on State Department orders to revoke Khalil’s student visa. Informed by the attorney that Khalil

was in the United States as a permanent resident with a green card, the agent said they were revoking that too, according to the lawyer

The arrest appeared to be among the first known actions under President Donald Trump’s pledge to deport international students who joined the protes ts against Israel’s war in Gaza that swept college campuses last spring. His administration has claimed participants forfeited their rights to remain in the country by supporting Hamas, a terror organization.

Khalil served as a negotiator for students as they bargained with university officials over an end to the tent encampment erected on campus, a role that made him one of the few student activists willing to share his name and

identity The authorities declined to tell Khalil’s wife, who is eight months pregnant, whether he was accused of committing a crime, Greer said. Khalil has since been transferred to an immigration detention facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey

“We have not been able to get any more details about why he is being detained,” Greer told the AP “This is a clear escalation. The administration is following through on its threats.”

A Columbia spokesperson said law enforcement agents must produce a warrant before entering university property but declined to say if the school had received one ahead of Khalil’s arrest. The spokesperson also declined to comment on Khalil’s detention.

Messages seeking comment were left with the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and ICE.

freedom of movement. Executive director Tania Hary said that it’s expected to run on generators and produce around 2,500 cubic meters per day, about the amount in an Olympic swimming pool.

Israel’s restrictions on fuel entering Gaza have a larger impact, Hary said, and water shortages are a looming issue, because fuel is needed for distribution trucks.

Israel has faced sharp criticism over suspending supplies.

“Any denial of the entry of the necessities of life for civilians may amount to collective punishment,” the U.N. human rights office said Friday

The International Criminal Court said there was reason to believe Israel had used “starvation as a method of warfare” when it issued an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last year The allegation is central to South Africa’s case at the International Court of Justice accusing

Israel of genocide. Israel has denied the accusations, saying it has allowed in enough aid and blaming shortages on what it called the United Nations’ inability to distribute it. It also accused Hamas of siphoning off aid.

The leader of the Iranianbacked Houthi rebels in Yemen, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, warned Friday that attacks against Israel-linked vessels off Yemen would resume within four days if aid doesn’t resume to Gaza. The Houthis described their earlier attacks as solidarity with Palestinians there.

The ceasefire has paused the deadliest and most destructive fighting ever between Israel and Hamas, sparked by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The first phase allowed the return of 25 living hostages and the remains of eight others in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

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Khalil

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALEX BRANDON

President Donald Trump waves Friday before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington.

‘Bloody Sunday’ 60th anniversary marked in Selma

Event remembered amid concerns for the future

BY KIM CHANDLER and SAFIYAH RIDDLE Associated Press

SELMA,Ala. — Charles Mauldin was near the front of a line of voting rights marchers walking in pairs across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama on March 7, 1965.

The marchers were protesting White officials’ refusal to allow Black Alabamians to register to vote, as well as the killing days earlier of Jimmie Lee Jackson, a minister and voting rights organizer who was shot by a state trooper in nearby Marion At the apex of the span over the Alabama River, they saw what awaited them: a line of state troopers, deputies and men on horseback. They kept going. After they approached, law enforcement gave a two-minute warning to disperse and then unleashed violence.

“Within about a minute or a half, they took their billy clubs, holding it on both ends, began to push us back to back us in, and then they began to beat men, women and children, and tear gas

men, women and children, and cattle prod men, women and children viciously,” said Mauldin, who was 17 at the time Selma on Sunday marked the 60th anniversary of the clash that became known as Bloody Sunday The attack shocked the nation and galvanized support for the U.S. Voting Rights Act of 1965

The annual commemoration pays homage to those who fought to secure voting rights for Black Americans and brought calls to recommit to the fight for equality For those gathered in Selma, the celebration comes amid concerns about new voting restrictions and the Trump administration’s effort to remake federal agencies they said helped make America a democracy for all.

Speaking at the pulpit of the city’s historic Tabernacle Baptist Church, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said what happened in Selma changed the nation.

He said the 60th anniversary comes at a time when there is “trouble all around” and some “want to whitewash our history.” But he said like the marchers of Bloody Sunday, they must keep going.

“At this moment, faced with trouble on every side, we’ve got to press on,” Jeffries said to the crowd that

Firefighters knock down Long Island brush fire

By The Associated Press

NEW YORK Firefighters in New York knocked down a dwindling brush fire in a wooded stretch of Long Island on Sunday as officials warned that high wind gusts could leave the region vulnerable to additional blazes.

Gov Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency a day earlier after four separate fires broke out across large swaths of Long Island’s Pine Barrens region, prompting closures to the highway and evacuations of a military base.

As of Sunday, all visible flames had been knocked down, including the last remaining fire burning in the hamlet of Westhampton, according to Suffolk County Fire Coordinator Rudy Sunderman. He said at a Sunday news conference that crews were working on containment lines around the fire to prevent further spread. Authorities said the fire had not grown since early Sunday

Still, officials were cautious as wind gusts of up to 30 mph were expected Sunday, according to the National Weather Service, “We’re concerned because the winds are still blowing, that might spark up again,” said Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine Romaine thanked firefighters who worked through the night, adding that more than 80 volunteer fire departments battled the blaze, which burned about 600 acres Two firefighters were hospitalized for injuries and released according to Sunderman.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation.

Dozens of detectives were interviewing 911 callers and using drones. Suffolk County officials said earlier that the police department’s arson squad had initiated an investigation into the blaze, though there was no immediate evidence to suggest arson.

By

Bridge in Selma Ala., during the 60th anniversary of the march to ensure that African Americans could exercise their constitutional right to vote.

included the Rev Jesse Jackson, multiple members of Congress and others gathered for the commemoration.

Members of Congress joined with Bloody Sunday marchers to lead a march of several thousand people across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. They stopped to pray at the site where marchers were beaten in 1965.

“We gather here on the 60th anniversary of Bloody Sunday when our country

is in chaos,” said U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell of Alabama.

Sewell, a Selma native, noted the number of voting restrictions introduced since the U.S. Supreme Court effectively abolished a key part of the Voting Rights Act that required jurisdictions with a history of racial discrimination to clear new voting laws with the Justice Department Other speakers noted the Trump administration’s push to end diversity, equity and inclusion efforts

and a rollback of equal opportunity executive orders that have been on the books since the 1960s. In 1965, the Bloody Sunday marchers led by John Lewis and Hosea Williams walked in pairs across the Selma bridge headed toward Montgomery

“We had steeled our nerves to a point where we were so determined that we were willing to confront. It was past being courageous. We were determined, and we

were indignant,” Mauldin recalled.

He said the “country was not a democracy for Black folks” until voting rights. “And we’re still constantly fighting to make that a more concrete reality for ourselves.”

Kirk Carrington was just 13 on Bloody Sunday and was chased through the city by a man on a horse wielding a stick. “When we started marching, we did not know the impact we would have in America,” he said.

Dr Verdell Lett Dawson, who grew up in Selma, remembers a time when she was expected to lower her gaze if she passed a White person on the street to avoid making eye contact. Dawson and Mauldin said they are concerned about the potential dismantling of the Department of Education and other changes to federal agencies. Support from the federal government “is how Black Americans have been able to get justice, to get some semblance of equality, because left to states’ rights, it is going to be the White majority that’s going to rule,” Dawson said.

“That’s a tragedy of 60 years later: What we are looking at now is a return to the 1950s,” Dawson said.

Russia strikes Ukrainian forces via pipeline

BY JOANNA KOZLOWSKA

Associated Press

LONDON Russian special forces walked inside a gas pipeline to strike Ukrainian units from the rear in the Kursk region, Ukraine’s military and Russian war bloggers reported, as Moscow claimed fresh gains in its push to recapture parts of the border province that Kyiv seized in a shock offensive.

Ukraine launched a daring cross-border incursion into Kursk in August, marking the largest attack on Russian territory since World War II. Within days, Ukrainian units had captured 386 square miles of territory, including the strategic border town of Sudzha, and taken hundreds of Russian prisoners of war

According to Kyiv, the operation aimed to gain a bargaining chip in future peace talks and to force Russia to divert troops away from its grinding offensive in eastern Ukraine.

But months after Ukraine’s thunder run, its soldiers in Kursk are weary and bloodied by relentless assaults of more than 50,000 troops, including some from Russian ally North Korea. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers are at risk of being encircled, open-source maps of the battlefield show

According to Telegram posts late Saturday by a Ukrainian-born, pro-Kremlin blogger, Russian operatives walked about 9 miles inside the pipeline which

Moscow had until recently used to send gas to Europe. Some Russian troops spent several days in the pipe before striking Ukrainian units from the rear near Sudzha, blogger Yuri Podolyaka claimed.

The town had some 5,000 residents before the fullscale February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and it houses major gas transfer and measuring stations along

the pipeline, which was once a major outlet for Russian natural gas exports through Ukrainian territory

Another war blogger, who uses the alias Two Majors, said fierce fighting was underway for Sudzha, and that Russian forces managed to enter the town through a gas pipeline. Russian Telegram channels showed photos of what they said were special forces operatives, wearing gas masks and moving along what looked like the inside of a large pipe.

Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed Saturday evening that Russian “sabotage and assault groups” used the pipeline in a bid to gain a foothold outside Sudzha. In a Telegram post, it said Russian troops were “detected in a timely manner” and that Ukraine responded with rockets and artillery

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

MIKE STEWART

From left, U.S Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.y.; U.S Rep Maxine Waters, D-Calif.; the Rev. Al Sharpton; the Rev. Jesse Jackson; and NAACP President Derick Johnson march Sunday across the Edmund Pettus

BY NICOLE WINFIELD and SILVIA STELLACCI Associated Press

ROME Pope Francis

thanked volunteers Sunday for the “miracle of tenderness” they offer the sick, as he continued his treatment for double pneumonia and doctors reported some positive news. After more than three weeks in the hospital, the 88-year-old pope is responding well to treatment and has shown a “gradual, slight improvement” in recent days.

Francis on Sunday followed the opening day of a weeklong spiritual retreat in the Vatican for Holy See officials by video conference. He could see the officials, but

CHALLENGES

Continued from page 1A

street that don’t have that family unit, the treatment options are not there.”

Nearly two months into his term, Edwards said he wants to break a cycle of fragmented efforts in Baton Rouge’s response to homelessness and mental health issues by convening the city’s key homeless organizations.

St Vincent de Paul’s local chapter has 200 shelter beds available in Baton Rouge, half of the city’s roughly 400 beds, which also include the Salvation Army and the Iris Center Across the street from the Catholic organization’s shelter, the One Stop Homeless Services center provides showers, laundry, health care, job assistance and housing reentry programs. Last year it received 39,000 requests for those services.

‘It’s a society problem’

City officials and nonprofit workers agree the issue of homelessness is a complex interplay between mental health, addiction and dwindling affordable housing, although the relative importance of each factor is debated. For Edwards, however, January’s historic snowstorm and record cold snap revealed a stark hurdle to tackling the matter

“We opened up extra shelters. Many declined the offer, and a lot of it had to do with their mental illness,” the mayor said. “They would rather sleep in 9-degree weather than come get warm. … It’s not against the law to be homeless, that’s where we’re caught.”

As part of his transition team, Edwards picked police Lt. T.C. Lam a veteran of the downtown 5th District with more than a decade of experience working with the city’s homeless population

“It’s not a police problem. It’s a society problem. But we’re called to go out there because people don’t want to see them,” Lam said. Lam estimated about 90% of unhoused individuals he encounters either deal with

they couldn’t see him in the Gemelli hospital, the Vatican press office said. Francis also participated in Mass at the hospital’s private chapel. For the fourth consecutive Sunday, Francis didn’t appear for his weekly noon blessing, but the Vatican distributed the text he would have delivered if he were well enough. In it, the Argentine pope thanked all those who were caring for him and others who are sick and experiencing a “night of pain.”

“Brothers and sisters, during my prolonged hospitalization here I too experience the thoughtfulness of service and the tenderness of care, in particular from the doctors and health care workers, whom I thank from the

mental illness or substance abuse, often both. He thinks that’s why many avoid shelters with rigid schedules and rules. Of those dealing with mental illness, Lam said most aren’t breaking the law And when they do, it is seldom violent he said.

“The majority of them have had a stint in the parish prison, but it’s mostly for petty crimes,” he said “Getting arrested for begging for money, shoplifting, mostly property crimes.”

Mental health crisis center

Baton Rouge police can transport individuals in crisis to the Bridge Center for Hope. It’s Louisiana’s only mental health crisis intervention center and an alternative to emergency rooms or jails — the default in every other parish in the state.

Partially funded by a 2018 voter-approved tax, the center was opened to help prevent a growing backlog of patients after former Gov Bobby Jindal’s privatization of Louisiana’s hospital system which left a void for mental health care access across the state, said Charlotte Claiborne, the center’s director

St. Vincent de Paul and the One Stop Shop also work closely with the Bridge Center though less than 10% of the 10,000 patients the center has treated since opening in 2021 identified as homeless upon admission.

“(People) immediately think of individuals that are poverty stricken,” Claiborne said. “That is not the case. We treat folks from the country club to the curb house.”

While invaluable, many say the Bridge Center often serves as temporary remedy for those without a support system once they’re stabilized Even for involuntary patients brought in by police, state laws and resource limitations prevent most long-term care.

“After 72 hours, it’s like now what?” Lam said. “Where is the mental hospital?”

For the past decade, the state’s only long-term mental health center for uninsured patients has been the East Louisiana State

bottom of my heart,” read the message from Gemelli hospital.

“And while I am here, I think of the many people who in various ways are

close to the sick, and who are for them a sign of the Lord’s presence. We need this, the ‘miracle of tenderness’ which accompanies those who are in adversity, bring-

Hospital in Jackson, which predominantly treats incarcerated individuals and has long faced capacity issues.

Housing connections

Addie Duval, of Start Corp., the largest services provider at the One Stop center, said a lack of affordable housing is at the center of the Baton Rouge homeless problem.

“If we could figure that out, it’s going to have the most powerful impact,” Duval said.

Duval, who conducts homeless outreach across the city, said many of the individuals she works with have jobs. But Louisiana’s minimum wage yields a salary of only $16,000 a year, and the average monthly rent for an apartment in Baton Rouge is $1,000.

Compounding the problem, half of residents in the East Baton Rouge Parish live at or below the ALICE threshold, the minimum amount of income a household needs to afford basic necessities. Those factors make accessing and keeping housing difficult, regardless of mental health status, Duval said.

“If you have a minimumwage job, it is highly unlikely you’re going to find housing,” she said.

To combat that, federally funded “coordinated entry programs” are designed to put individuals on priority lists for U.S. housing vouchers to cover monthly rent or a portion of it. Lam, the police lieutenant, said the lengthy paperwork and

yearslong wait times hinder their effectiveness on an unpredictable, transient population.

“By the time their name comes up, they’ve probably moved 20 times,” he said of people seeking the vouchers.

Duval, however, described the state’s coordinated response system as “excellent.” She said it is easy to access, with no income or sobriety requirements, and officials maintain regular contact with those that

ing a little light into the night of pain,” he wrote.

The pontiff, who has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, has remained in stable condition, with no fever and good oxygen levels in his blood for several days, doctors reported.

The doctors said that such stability “as a consequence testifies to a good response to therapy.” It was the first time the doctors had reported that Francis was responding positively to the treatment for the complex lung infection that was diagnosed after he was hospitalized on Feb. 14.

But they kept his prognosis as “guarded,” meaning that he’s not out of danger The Vatican said that the medi-

are waiting.

“The problem is, at the end of the pipeline, there are not enough places to go,” Duval said “They sort of hang out on this priority list because we don’t have enough solutions.”

Collaboration needed

On Feb. 25, the mayor’s community outreach coordinator, Matt Edwards, initiated the administration’s first Community Outreach Partnership Committee meeting. The group plans to meet biweekly. It includes members from St. Vincent de Paul, One Stop, United Methodist Organization, Baton Rouge Police Department, and the Louisiana Balance of State Continuum of Care, a coalition responsible for the city’s largest source of federal funding for homeless housing and services.

“Funding is No. 1,” Edwards said.

He thinks pulling together the deep knowledge base from the committee will help with accessing more grants and public-private partnerships.

“It’s got to be a bunch of

cal update from Saturday remained valid Sunday In his absence, the Vatican’s day-to-day operations continued alongside celebrations of its Holy Year the once every quarter-century Jubilee that brings millions of pilgrims to Rome. On Sunday, Canadian Cardinal Michael Czerny, who is close to Francis, celebrated the Holy Year Mass for volunteers that Francis was supposed to have celebrated.

During the Mass in St. Peter’s Square, the giant banner bearing Francis’ papal coat of arms fluttered from the loggia of the basilica above. Even while in the hospital,

people on board wanting to go in the same direction,” the city’s homeless coordinator said.

One additional financing source could come from the mayor’s controversial proposal to redirect parish library funding into the city’s general fund.

Initially focused on police pay, Edwards now hopes if the Metro Council and voters approve his library proposal, it could also provide between $1 million and $1.5 million annually to support city initiatives such as mental health resources and homeless services.

Potentially, that’s a small step toward the construction of a long-term behavioral hospital in the parish, a lofty goal Edwards touted during his mayoral candidacy last year

“We have ideas, I wouldn’t say solutions,” the mayor said. “There is a lot of great work being done with mental illness and our homelessness in our city, but there is no collaboration.”

Email Aidan McCahill at aidan.mccahill@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

A person eats a sandwich during lunch at the St. Vincent de Paul dining room on Wednesday.

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•“Patients reported amean88.9% improvement in backpainand betterfunction…No patientrequiredany invasive therapies(e.g. epidural injections,surgery).”-American AcademyofPainManagement

•“We thus submit that decompression therapyshouldbeconsidered first, before thepatient undergoesasurgicalprocedure whichpermanently alters theanatomy and function of theaffectedlumbarspine segment.” -Journal Of Neuroscience Research

•“86%ofthe 219patientswho completed thetherapy reported immediateresolution of symptoms.” -OrthopedicTechnology Review

•“Vertebralaxial (spinal) decompressionwas successful in 71%ofthe 778cases”- Journal of Neurological Research

•“Good to excellentreliefin86% of patients with Herniateddiscs”- TheAmericanJournalofPainManagement

•“Decompression Therapyreported a76.5%

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with complete remissionand 19.6%with partialremission of pain anddisability”-Rio Grande Hospital,Departmentof Neurosurgery

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IcametoLeBlancSpine Center becauseIhad been sufferingwithextreme back pain andleg pain forseveral weeks. Ihad triedother treatments massage, NSAIDs andTylenol,but Iwas stillinpain. Ibegan Spinal Decompressiontreatmentsin April2024, andInow feel 100% improved! What I like most aboutmytreatment is that it is noninvasive anditeliminatedmypain.Mytreatment appointments arenot long,and thetreatment is pain-free. Sincebeginning treatmentatLeBlanc SpineCenter, Iamnow able to do allofmyprevious activities andworkwithout pain.I also have more rangeofmotion. Iwould highly recommend LeBlancSpine Center!

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Ihavebeensufferingwithsharppainful back aches causing immobilityfor yearsbut came here when my pain wasmoresevere. Ibegan Spinal Decompression treatments at LeBlancSpine Center andIamnow 8090%improved! Ican stilldomyhobbies andworkwith less pain than before,Iamalsosleepingbetterand I have moremobility.Ifeelsomuchbetter! Thestaff here is always caring,helpful,and accommodating. Thedoctors arealwaysassessing and evaluating issues trying to find asolution. Oneofthe best things Ilikeabout my care at LeBlancSpine Center is that everyone is so caring andthe attentivenessIreceive!Iwould 100% recommendLeBlancSpine Center,the staff is always nice andhelpful.Dr. Scottand Dr.Danahavealwaysbeen proactiveand thorough when trying to find asolution! Cory Manuel (Project Management) Hometown -Gonzales, LA

RAISES

Continued

of the affected programs, it remains unclear which ones would receive that money and which risk being cut or reduced if the amendment passes.

Critics have also voiced concern that the pay hikes wouldn’t be protected by the state’s education funding formula, pointing out that the amendment would instead shift responsibility to individual districts to provide the raises They also note that the money would essentially make the stipends teachers received permanent but would not additionally increase their pay So, voters must decide at the polls on March 29: Should the money be spent on teacher pay or should it continue to fund existing education programs?

What’s at stake?

For decades, Louisiana has financially backed many education projects through money the state receives from three separate trust funds protected by the state constitution.

Two of the funding pools were formed in the wake of a 1986 settlement in which the federal government agreed to give Louisiana a percentage of the money generated from offshore development. Louisiana residents later voted to use the money as an education trust fund.

Continued from page 1A

On Sunday morning, a spokesperson for Landry was not able to confirm when Sheahan will leave the state department and begin her job with ICE.

Noem on Sunday also announced that Todd Lyons will serve as acting director of ICE Lyons, who held previous roles with ICE in Dallas and Boston, last month was elevated to run the immigration agency’s enforcement and removal operations.

“Todd Lyons and Madison Sheahan are work horses, strong executors, and accountable leaders who will lead the men and women of

The third pool is the Education Excellence Fund, part of a trust created from a settlement in the late 1990s between the state and tobacco companies. Together, the three funds have generated roughly $2 billion for the state since they were created, according to the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana. Last year, the funds generated $68 million that was split between K-12 schools and higher education.

During a special session in November the Legislature unanimously passed a bill that would eliminate the three funding sources from the state constitution, leaving about $2 billion to pay off a portion of teacher retirement system debt The Legislature then voted to pass a second bill, authored by Rep. Tony Bacala, RPrairieville, that would require school districts to use the debt-payment savings to give raises to teachers and support staff.

Voters must approve Amendment 2 next month for those changes to take effect

Summarizing the argument for the amendment, PAR wrote that it would save the state about $1 billion in interest payments and end the “the annual financial uncertainty” for educators by funding permanent pay increases.

Cade Brumley, the state’s superintendent of education, expressed unequivocal support for the amendment, saying he believes

ICE to achieve the American people’s mandate to target, arrest and deport illegal aliens,” Noem said in a statement.

During an interview on “Face the Nation” that aired Sunday, Noem said the two appointments will “allow us to partner with local law enforcement officials to make sure that we are truly following through on enforcing the law, and if you break our law there’s going to be consequences.”

Reuters initially reported Sheahan’s new role last month, but officials did not confirm it until Sunday.

Sheahan, who is in her late 20s, worked for Noem when she was governor of South Dakota. She was executive director of the South Dakota Republican Party when

the trade-off is worth it if it helps the state retain and attract qualified teachers.

“There’s nothing more important than a classroom teacher for kids’ academic success,” he said

But opponents say it is misguided to eliminate a protected source of education revenue.

“Now you’re leaving it up to the vagaries of the Louisiana Legislature, not just next year, but every year thereafter” to find funding, Moller said.

Last year the funds provided about $10 million for early childhood education. They also supplied $4.5 million to assist with student testing, $3 million to improve struggling schools and $1.2 million to help school districts with teacher recruitment and retention.

The Louisiana Policy Institute for Children has warned that the funds’ removal would leave nearly 1,600 children without access to early education programs, worsening the state’s child care crisis.

Brumley said the state could possibly backfill funding for “significant endeavors” like early childhood education. However Landry’s recently proposed budget for next fiscal year is based on current revenues and does not account for changes if the trust funds are eliminated, officials said.

Some school system leaders are worried about losing funding.

The Baker school district

Landry picked her to run Louisiana’s wildlife agency in late 2023. She was 26 at the time.

Cracking down on illegal immigration and ramping up deportations has been a top priority for Trump over the course of his presidential campaign and in the early part of his second term.

Trump has been reorganizing ICE after the number of deportations did not meet his administration’s goals. The acting director of ICE, Caleb Vitello, was reassigned last month to a role overseeing field operations.

In Louisiana, Sheahan opened the first bear hunting season in 35 years, extended some open seasons after the January snowstorm and moved to eliminate catch limits for two types of shark.

in East Baton Rouge Parish receives roughly $53,000 annually from one of the trust funds. Superintendent JT Stroder said the money pays the salary of a staffer in the district’s early childhood program. If the funds go away, so will that position, he said.

“It won’t be a good thing,” Stroder said. “Losing any money that impacts instruction in public K-12 education is a bad idea.”

Teacher concerns

Some who say teachers deserve a permanent raise have also expressed concern about the amendment. Unions and budget experts said because the raises won’t be built into the state’s school-funding formula, where it would remain a permanent part of the state budget, educators would rely on districts to allocate the money They also say lawmakers could later decide to put the money to other uses.

“We cannot rely on good intentions alone when it comes to our teachers’ and support staff’s paychecks,” Larry Carter president of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, the state’s largest teachers’ union, told lawmakers in November.

In a statement last year union leaders said they support “the spirit of the bill,” but said the pay raises would be better protected if they were embedded in the funding formula

The bill contains a stipulation that if the savings a district accrues through the plan are not enough to fully fund the raises, it will not be required to honor the salary hike, and the state will cover the difference in the education funding formula. Between four and 43 school systems are expected to need additional aid, which could cost between a few million to tens of millions of dollars a year according to simulations run by the state education department.

Bacala and Sen. Rick Edmonds, R-Baton Rouge, who co-authored the bill, did not respond to a request for comment.

Critics also say the move would shift responsibility for the raises from the state to districts.

In the past, the state’s funding formula increased teacher pay by 2.75% annually to keep up with the cost of inflation. The state ended the annual increases during the Great Recession, when Louisiana faced a budget deficit.

“It’s kind of taking the state out of the business of providing teacher pay raises and foisting that responsibility more onto the locals,” Moller said, adding that the Legislature should fund “teacher raises annually through the formula — something the state did for years.”

Email Elyse Carmosino at ecarmosino@ theadvocate.com.

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METRO NEWS

Built to inspire

A construction worker helps build the metal roofing structure of the new Inspiration Center at BREC’s Howell Park on Thursday. The Inspiration Center is designed to engage and inspire using technology, education, sports and mentorship to help area children and the community grow.

Mamou gunfire last straw for musician

March 4 violence left 2 dead, 12 injured at concert

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

It was a crowded Mardi Gras weekend in Mamou — a town of a little under 3,000 people that receives thousands of additional visitors during one of the busiest seasons in south Louisiana.

People flock to Mamou to experience traditional courir de Mardi Gras runs, a Lundi Gras fais do-do and Mardi Gras concerts and festivities that highlight the zydeco and Creole folkways the community is known for But on March 4, the festivities turned deadly when dozens of shots rang out during a zydeco concert

A witness to Tuesday’s shooting said she had never seen the event so packed, and reports indicate that thousands of people crowded to see zydeco artist Chris Ardoin perform with his band, NuStep Zydeko Ardoin’s 13-year-old son was also there, standing alongside his father on stage when shots rang out. As people screamed during the shooting, the aftermath of which left bodies on the ground, Ardoin and his band rushed to protect his son, Ardoin said Ardoin, his son and band members were all uninjured.

Ardoin, a native of Lake Charles and a resident of Lafayette, had just returned from a hiatus of outdoor performances. In July 2021, he was shot in the back during a performance at Louisiana Mudfest in Colfax in Grant Parish

After Mardi Gras’ gunfire, Ardoin said on Facebook that he will no longer perform at outdoor venues.

“That’s done. Today, it drew the line for me,” he said in a Facebook Live video posted following the shooting. “I love music, but I love life more.”

The 43-year-old said he is “semiretired” and will perform only at venues that meet his security requirements. The Ardoin family looms large in the history of Louisiana zydeco — Ardoin’s grandfather Bois Sec Ardoin was an early influence in the development of zydeco from Creole “la la music.”

“I’m sad and heartbroken for

PROVIDED PHOTO By CHRIS ARDOIN

Zydeco musician Chris Ardoin was performing onstage alongside his son when shooting broke out during a Mardi Gras concert. He and his son were unharmed.

Chris and his family and his band,” Grammy-winning zydeco artist

Chubby Carrier said “I’ve never had to witness what Chris has on a couple of occasions. That’s not what zydeco is about.

“I never thought in a million years, with me playing music this long in my life, I would actually get onstage and look around for a hiding place in case some kind of shooting breaks out.”

Police have been tight-lipped since Tuesday’s shooting, in which Lafayette Renaissance Charter High student Alaya Christian and Cecilia High School student Bryson Green were killed and 12 others were injured. Three additional people were injured in a Lundi Gras shooting the night before in Mamou.

Authorities in Montgomery County, Texas, arrested a man Saturday in the Tuesday shooting. Montgomery deputies, officers with the Conroe Police Department and U.S. marshals in the Gulf Coast Violent Offenders and Fugitive Task Force apprehended Trea’land Ty’rell Castille, 19 the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said. Castille was found hiding at an apartment complex in south Montgomery County, the Sheriff’s Office said. He was booked into the Montgomery County Jail on two counts of first-degree murder, among other charges. He is awaiting extradition, the Sheriff’s Office said Staff writer Chad Calder contributed to this story

Email Joanna Brown at joanna. brown@theadvocate.com

Hike in 2025 N.O. hotel numbers point to a ‘great Mardi Gras’

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

Despite being cut short by a few hours because of the threat of severe weather, Mardi Gras 2025 was significantly bigger than last year’s Carnival celebration, according to local hoteliers, restaurant owners and hospitality leaders.

Occupancy in the 26,000 hotel rooms downtown and in the French Quarter averaged nearly 87% from Feb. 28 through Fat Tuesday, according to New Orleans & Co. On Saturday night, the weekend’s peak, occupancy averaged 95%.

And that’s not including data from the city’s roughly 6,000 shortterm rental units, which, presumably, would drive average occupancy rates even higher

During the five-night celebration in 2024, by comparison, hotel occupancy averaged 81% and never reached 90%.

“The numbers are pretty high, especially when you consider the explosion of short-term rentals over the past few years,” said New Orleans & Co. President and CEO Walt Leger III. “By all accounts, it was a great Mardi Gras.”

Though a positive sign for the city’s hospitality industry the stillunofficial occupancy numbers are not as strong as they were in the immediate years before the COVID-19 pandemic, when Mardi Gras revelers regularly took up 95% or more of the city’s hotel rooms during the five-day weekend.

In the years since, the city has yet to return to pre-pandemic visitor levels, though hotels and restaurants report that business is continuing to steadily improve.

Still, pulling off a successful Carnival season was particularly important this year, given the public safety challenges and potential image problems the city faced after the Jan. 1 ramming attack on Bourbon Street.

In the weeks after the attack and leading up to the Super Bowl on Feb. 8, city, state and federal leaders revamped security plans for the French Quarter and Mardi Gras parade routes. They protected streets and sidewalks with bollards and barricades, beefed up law enforcement presence and deployed a host of new crime-fighting technology to not only keep people safer but to make them feel safer Experts said it paid off.

“There were concerns going into it,” Leger said. “So it was really positive to see that security was effective but didn’t get in the way of people living out their Mardi Gras tradition and having a good time.”

Hotels, bars, restaurants

While hotel occupancy numbers were strong overall, several French Quarter and boutique hotels outperformed the market average. At the six French Quarter hotels owned by the Valentino family, occupancy averaged 95%, up several points from 2024, according to Chris Valentino, chief operating officer for the company. Hotel St. Vincent in the Lower Garden District was 100% occupied, as in 2024, owner Zach Kupperman said. And the hotel performed better financially, with 14% higher room rates than last year

Most of the hotel’s guests were tourists who flew into town for Mardi Gras, not regional, drive-in visitors.

Jayson Seidman, who owns the Columns and the Henrietta hotels on St. Charles Avenue as well as Fives Bar on Jackson Square, saw a 20% uptick in revenues this Mardi Gras over last at all his businesses.

“If only we as a city could figure out how to program around the first and second weekends of Mardi Gras, then it would be a major win for the city,” he said

‘Robust Mardi Gras’ Tourists weren’t the only ones driving Mardi Gras business this year Locals also contributed to the coffers, according to some metrics.

Ticket sales to viewing stands along the parade route on St.

Charles Avenue were up 12% this year over last, according to Michael Valentino, whose hotel company manages four sets of stands on the parade route downtown.

Sales of the roughly 2,800 spots in the stands were evenly split between tourists and locals, Valentino said.

“People are increasingly looking for a comfortable, controlled environment to watch the parades versus being out on the street,” he said. “So, the stands did really well this year It was a robust Mardi Gras.” Restaurants also benefited from a robust Carnival season, fueled, in part, by enthusiastic local diners on “Friday Gras,” a day of celebratory brunches and lunches that kicks off Mardi Gras weekend.

“The Friday before Mardi Gras represents our single busiest lunch of the year in our French Quarter properties,” said Dick Brennan, whose business also was up over 2024. “We find it encouraging and exciting to see so many locals out supporting and enjoying the French Quarter on special days like this one.”

Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@theadvocate. com.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Revelers fill Bourbon Street on Mardi Gras.

STAFF

PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Obituaries

Amoroso, Evelyn Soileau

Evelyn Soileau Amoroso passed from this life, surrounded by her family, on Tuesday, March 4, 2025 at the age of 74. She was born on January 26, 1951 in New Orleans, raised in Metairie and was aresident of Baton Rouge since 1991. Evelyn was preceded in death by her father, Perry Dewey Soileau, her mother, Lorita Mary Soileau, and her brother, Michael E. Soileau, Sr. She is survived by her husband of 53 years,August J. Amoroso, Jr., their sons, August J. Amoroso, III and wife Lauriel, Samuel D. Amoroso and wife Hannah, and adaughter, Claire A. Duplechain and her husband Michael. She is also survived by her sister, Cheryl Blum, and grandchildren Rebekah and Stephen Amoroso, and Jacob and Anna Duplechain. Evelyn was aloving wife, mother, grandmother, and teacher. Graduating from Archbishop Chapelle High School in Metairie in 1969, she met her future husband, August, and they soon began their lifelong adventure together. As an Army Wife she traveled around the U.S.A.,Europe and Asia supporting her soldier husband and raising their family in often challenging circumstances and locations; concurrently, she advanced her education and career earning abachelor's degree in education from the University of St. Mary in Leavenworth, Kansas and aMaster's Degree in Education with a Gifted Certificate from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. In 1991, Evelyn began her teaching career in Baton Rouge at Dufroq Elementary. Once she obtained her gifted education certificate, she moved to Brownfields Elementary where she taught in the Gifted and Talented Program. She later moved to Southeast Middle School and finally to Woodlawn Middle School where she became the Literacy Coach until her retirement in 2011 after acareer of 20 years in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System. In her retirement she enjoyed traveling with familyand friends, loving her grandchildren, hosting family dinners and in particular playing Mah Jong with her long time teaching colleagues every week. Her favorite place to be was the lake house at Old River with her grandchildren. The family wishes to thank the

is survivedbyher husband of 53 years, August J. Amoroso, Jr theirsons, August J. Amoroso, III and wife Lauriel, Samuel D. Amoroso and wife Hannah, and adaughter, Claire A. Duplechain and her husband Michael. She is also survived by her sister, Cheryl Blum, and grandchildren Rebekahand StephenAmoroso, and Jacob and Anna Duplechain. Evelyn was aloving wife, mother, grandmother, and teacher. Graduating from Archbishop Chapelle High School in Metairie in 1969, she met her futurehusband, August, and they soon began their lifelong adventure together. As an Army Wife, she traveled around the U.S.A., Europe and Asia supporting her soldier husband and raising theirfamily in oftenchallenging circumstances and locations; concurrently, she advanced her education and career earning abachelor's degree in education from the University of St. Mary in Leavenworth, Kansas and aMaster's Degree in Education with a GiftedCertificate from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge.In1991, Evelyn began her teaching career in Baton Rouge at Dufroq Elementary. Once she obtainedher gifted education certificate, she movedtoBrownfields Elementary where she taught in the Gifted and Talented Program. She later moved to Southeast MiddleSchool and finally to Woodlawn Middle School where she became the Literacy Coach until herretirement in 2011 after acareerof20years in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System. In her retirement she enjoyed traveling with family and friends, loving hergrandchildren, hosting family dinners and in particular playing Mah Jong with her long time teaching colleagues every week. Her favorite place to be was the lake house at Old River with her grandchildren. The family wishes to thank the care providers at Mary Bird Perkins, Woman's Hospital, and The Hospice of Baton Rouge for their caring and professional service Services will be on Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at 2 p.m. followed by memorial and visitation until6 p.m. at Rabenhorst Funeral Home East, 11000 Florida Blvd, Baton Rouge, La. 70815. In lieu of flowers please make contributions in hername to the Volunteers of America, South Central Louisiana, 7389 Florida Blvd., Suite 101A, Baton Rouge, LA 708064657, (225) 387-0061, www.voascla.org.

day, March 11, 2025 at 2 p.m. followed by memorial and visitation until 6p.m. at Rabenhorst Funeral Home East, 11000 Florida Blvd, Baton Rouge, La. 70815. In lieuofflowers please make contributions in her name to theVolunteers of America, South Central Louisiana, 7389 FloridaBlvd Suite101A, Baton Rouge, LA 708064657, (225) 387-0061, www.voascla.org.

Lorio, Narcille Couvillion 'Cille'

Narcille CouvillionLorio, 88 years old,ofAlbuquerque, New Mexico, peacefullypassed away of Alzheimer's Disease on February 18, 2025. .She was born in Simmesport LA but lived and worked most of her life in Baton Rouge. She is survived by three children, JudithLorio White, John F. Lorio, and AnitaLorio Schreiber, as well as many nieces and nephews. For complete details, please see https://www.fr enchfunerals.com/obituari es/narcille-lorio

Rogillio II, Carlyle Alonzo Born in Tunica Louisiana on February 14, 1926 and a lifelong resident of Louisiana, Carlyle Alonzo Rogillio II passed away on March 5 2025. He is preceded in death by his parents, Alonzo Carlyle and Minnie Mae Musgrove Rogillio; his brothers Charles Rogillio and Don Rogillio and his son, Car‐lyle Alonzo Rogillio III. Car‐lyle is survived by his lov‐ing wife, Sylvia Serrano Rogillio; his son, Clifford Rogillio and numerous nieces, nephews, and friends. Carlyle will be re‐membered for his devotion to conservation his love of birds, and his determina‐tion to preserve lands for all wildlife He will be laid to rest in the Rogillio Cemetery, Tunica, LA fol‐lowing visitation from 10 am-12 pm and service at 12 pm at Tunica United Methodist Church located at 16428 Tunica Trace, Hwy 66, Tunica LA 70782 In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your favorite conservation charity or our charity of choice National Audubon Society at www Audubon.org Share sym‐pathies, memories, and condolences at www Cha rletFuneralHome.com

Ro s son, Car‐lyle Alonzo Rogillio III. Car‐lyle is survived by his lov‐ing wife, Sylvia Serrano Rogillio; his son, Clifford Rogillio and numerous nieces, nephews and friends Carlyle will be re‐membered for his devotion to conservation, his love of birds, and his determina‐tion to preserve lands for all wildlife. He will be laid to rest in the Rogillio Cemetery, Tunica, LA fol‐lowing visitation from 10 am-12 pm and service at 12 pm at Tunica United Methodist Church located at 16428 Tunica Trace, Hwy 66, Tunica LA 70782 In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to your favorite conservation charity or our charity of choice National Audubon Society at www Audubon.org Share sym‐pathies, memories, and condolences at www Cha rletFuneralHome.com

In

IN LOVING MEMORY OF Raymond (Buddy) Allen Mar 09, 1988

there's never aday go by that we don't think of you.

In life Iloved you dearly, in death Ilove you still.

In my heart you hold a place no one else could fill. If tears could build astairway and heartache make a lane. I'd walk

NIH funding is vital to our country’s long-term competitiveness

Cancer Heart disease. Dementia Each year, millions of American families face these and other terrifying, life-changing diagnoses and their single best hope for a healthier future lies in medical research and innovation. Most funding for medical research in the U.S. comes from the National Institutes of Health, and most of the NIH-funded research is conducted at medical schools like LSU Health and our teaching hospitals including University Medical Center and Manning Family Children’s. Through federal funding from the NIH, our academic scientists have made groundbreaking advances like improving survival rates of children with leukemia, dramatically reducing the death rate from heart disease and stroke and nearly eliminating HIV transmission from mother to child.

These remarkable improvements in the health of our nation positively affect not only our physical health but our fiscal health as well. Beyond its lifesaving benefits, medical research generates thousands of well-paying, skilled jobs, new products and technological advances that touch all our lives. Our nation’s investment in NIH funding to universities across the country is an efficient way to ensure our country’s long-term competitiveness in industries like biotechnology medical device manufacturing and pharmaceutical development. It is with NIH support that the U.S. leads the world in medical research, innovation and quality of care, even as other countries challenge our historical leadership position.

Our patients want cures and deserve nothing less. LSU Health, along with other medical schools and teaching hospitals across our great nation, must remain a nexus for innovation, discovery, and superior health care. Medical research has been and must remain a national priority if we are to offer hope to our patients and their families who anxiously await the next medical miracle.

STEVE NELSON chancellor, LSU Health New Orleans

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name and the writer’s city of residence.The Advocate | The Times-Picayune require a street address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@theadvocate.com. TO SEND US A LETTER, SCAN HERE

YOUR VIEWS

Bishops oppose restarting death penalty in Louisiana

The Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops has consistently defended life from conception to natural death, and we remain deeply aware of the pain and grief that victims and families suffer, especially those who have lost a loved one through the crime of murder or crimes of violence.

As we continue to pray for the victims and their families, we pray that the state will not issue in a culture of death by facilitating death warrants and consider that mercy can be the highest form of justice. No method of execution is acceptable, including nitrogen hypoxia (asphyxiation).

As a result of the recent efforts to restart the protocols for executions, the Louisiana Conference of Catholic Bishops issued the following statement:

“We are saddened by the recent notice to restart the process for the issuance of death warrants to execute human beings in Loui-

siana. This only contributes to the culture of death. We promote a culture of life, not death, in this great State we love. As bishops, we will continue to promote life from conception to natural death and work to end the execution of another human being.”

MOST REV GREGORY M. AYMOND Archbishop of New Orleans

MOST REV MICHAEL G. DUCA bishop, diocese of Baton Rouge

MOST REV J. DOUGLAS DESHOTELS bishop, Diocese of Lafayette

MOST REV FRANCIS I. MALONE bishop, Diocese of Shreveport

MOST REV ROBERT W. MARSHALL bishop, Diocese of Alexandria

MOST REV GLEN JOHN PROVOST bishop, Diocese of Lake Charles

VERY REV SIMON PETER ENGURAIT diocesan administrator, Houma-Thibodaux

Landry following Trump’s dangerous example

So, Gov Jeff Landry’s Fiscal Responsibility Program decided to temporarily suspend its work because of questions as to whether it could legally hold its meetings in secret.

The commission was created within the Office of the Governor by executive order and directed all agencies and departments to cooperate in the implementation of the order That Landry would attempt to emulate the lawless behavior of the President Donald Trump’s and Elon Musk’s DOGE should come as no surprise: Landry as state attorney general did, after all, give legal cover to Trump in his attempt to overturn President Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election.

The preamble to Louisiana’s open meetings statute states, in part, “It is essential to the

maintenance of a democratic society that public business be performed in an open and public manner...”

Landry’s penchant for lawlessness, whether it is ignoring open meetings laws, undermining open records laws or illegally impeding the First Amendment rights of an LSU law professor who was critical of the governor and Trump, demonstrates his unfitness to lead this state and the continued violation of his oath to “support the constitution and laws” of the United States and Louisiana.

As Landry and the president continue to consolidate power and trample over the rule of law, we should be prepared for more attacks on our rights as citizens and attempts to hold government accountable.

JAMES TAYLOR Baton Rouge

Our representatives don’t seem to care about budget harm

Recently the House voted to advance a budget that would hurt Louisianans. Now, the Senate is positioning itself to ram the budget through the legislative process without considering how it affects constituents. Congress is teeing up to pass the budget through reconciliation, which would fast track the bill. It’s legislation through blunt force, rather than debate and consensus. Perhaps reconciliation is the preferred way to govern because House Speaker Mike Johnson knows what they propose hurts the people they claim to represent.

While there are wealthy Louisianans who will benefit from tax cuts, they are outnumbered by the rest of us.

The majority of tax cuts will go to people who make over $157,000 a year Statewide, 86% of us earn less than $annually In Rep. Julia Letlow’s district, 90% of us make less than $150,000. How will we pay for this tax break for our wealthiest colleagues? By dismantling

programs that far more of us need. One in 3 Louisianans depends on Medicaid, which is likely on the chopping block.

I’ve heard the justification for the budget bill is that this is what we voted for Even if true, I assume Trump supporters voted to pay less than $7 for eggs, not lose coverage that they need in the name of a welfare check to the wealthy

While I agree that the federal deficit needs to be reined in, I abhor the methods Johnson and my representative, Letlow, have used to reach this goal.

This proposed budget actually balloons the deficit. An effective way to tackle the deficit would be to limit tax cuts for the top 20% of earners, rather than take a hatchet to programs that Louisianans depend on. I implore Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy to consider the people that will be affected by their actions during reconciliation.

Article on school vouchers provided facts, raised issue of parent involvement

As a concerned grandfather of two granddaughters (ages 8 and 5) in favor of school choice programs, I’ve read this article, “Despite lofty promises, Louisiana’s private-school vouchers fall short,” twice one day and then again the next, just so I could truly take in all the information you have provided. Thank you for writing this.

I will begin first by saying that I have always believed a child’s education starts at home by the parents, and in some cases grandparents, to prepare them for their initial encounter with an actual school. Without this familial pre-education, the child is already behind.

Secondly, I have some issues with Tulane economist Doug Harris’ negative take on the original 2012 voucher program, which was designed for disadvantaged poor children. It is my opinion that the reasons why these children were slow to improve was specifically that they were disadvantaged from the start. They didn’t have a hill to climb, they had to climb an educational mountain.

From your school voucher article: “Principal Buffie Singletary said voucher students typically arrive at the school far behind, with limited reading skills, making it difficult to catch them up. ‘It’s just really hard,’ she said.” Per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, Louisiana is 1 of 3 states (Louisiana, Mississippi and New Mexico) that lead the country in unwed mothers, with over 50% of babies born to unmarried women. Nearly twothirds of these mothers are well under the age of 25 Basically, children having children.

The problem isn’t the voucher system or, in most cases, the school itself, be it public or private, but the lack of parental involvement in pre-education before the child even begins school.

CHARLES COLLINS Avondale

Pope Francis not even-handed in his criticism

Pope Francis has rebuked President Donald Trump for his policy of deporting immigrants who illegally entered our country His claim is that the action is inhumane and counter to Christ’s teachings.

It seems odd that this selfsame pontiff failed to chastise Joe Biden for his unwavering support of abortion. Is that not against Christ’s teachings?

I sense a bit of hypocrisy here. And I wonder if the Pope is a Democrat.

CHARLEY IRELAND Robert

AMANDA RICHEY Baton

Rouge

STAFF FILE PHOTO Louisiana is set to resume executions using nitrogen gas after

ST. PADDY’S DAY

A leprechaun, a frog and an alligator all walk into a bar on St Patrick’s Day.This has a classic joke setup with a Louisiana twist Who can come up with the funniest punchline for THIS one? Have fun!

So, what’s going on in this cartoon? you tell me Be witty, funny, crazy, absurd or snarky just try to keep it clean.There’s no limit on the number of entries

The winning punchline will be lettered into the word balloon and run on St Patrick’s Day, March 17 in our print editions and online. In addition, the winner will receive a signed print of the cartoon along with a cool winner’s T-shirt! Some honorable mentions will also be listed. To enter, email cartooncontest@theadvocate.com.

DON’T FORGET! All entries must include your name, home address and phone number

Cell numbers are best.

The deadline for all entries is midnight Thursday, March 13.

Good luck, folks! — Walt

Louisiana is under dire threat, and politicians are making things worse

We’re only six weeks into Trump 2.0 and Louisianans are facing two of the biggest threats ever to their health, livelihoods, property and futures.

The No. 1 threat is President Donald Trump The No 2 is the Republican members of our congressional delegation

It’s all so the very rich get even richer

Here’s why Louisiana faces arguably the highest and most costly environmental risks of any state.

We have been ranked the most polluted state overall, the third worst for industrial toxins and their associated health impacts and the fourth worst for life expectancy

If those problems don’t make Louisiana an unattractive place to live or start businesses, the climate costs certainly do.

Our coastal zone, the state’s economic hub, is sinking at one of the planet’s fastest rates as the Gulf of Mexico is rising at one of its fastest rates. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says we could see 2 feet of sea level rise in just 35 years, while researchers report the worst-case projections for both issues could mean five to seven feet by the end of the century But wait, there’s more.

The record heat in the Gulf caused by climate change has led to more Category 4 and 5 hurricanes costing record billions in damages. Indeed, Louisiana’s Coastal Master Plan claims its projects could prevent as much as $11 billion in damages every year by 2073. Of course, that’s only a percentage of the expected damage; it won’t stop billions more. That’s the reason property insurance has become unaffordable for many, threatening the building and mortgage industries.

Now, the proper responses to these threats are obvious

We could enjoy healthier, longer lives by reducing toxic pollutants at their primary sources — the petrochemical industry We could lighten climate impacts for the next generation by cutting fossil fuel emissions, the main cause of climate impacts. But since Day 1 of this term, Trump has done the exact opposite. He has un-

leashed the most brutal rollback of environmental protections of any president in history

He has gone to war on programs to reduce fossil fuel emissions. He has falsely declared a national energy emergency, pledging to kill regulations on permitting and the production of toxic emissions to help boost oil and gas production even as the nation now leads the world in those areas. He is illegally canceling congressionally approved grants that help our economy transition to green energy and help states to install electric vehicle charging stations, and is even cracking down on teaching the science of climate change in public schools.

Mimicking communist-style thought control, Trump ordered federal agencies to wipe their web pages of research and news about climate change. And he has cheered as Elon Musk, his unelected, untitled assistant, unleashed arbitrary, dangerous and likely illegal staff reductions at federal science agencies.

One of those is NOAA. This is the agency that warns us of approaching hurricanes, tornadoes, thunderstorms, blizzards and freezes, and provides critical information to help farmers determine

when to plant and harvest crops.

All these actions will increase the risks to Louisianans’ health, property, livelihoods and futures.

In the past, members of Congress whose districts were victimized by cuts like these would rise in objection — even to their own party’s president.

But what’s been the reaction from Louisiana’s GOP members?

They simply tug their forelocks and grunt obeisance to Trump, tacitly giving approval for actions that harm their constituents to increase corporate profits for business owners and stockholders.

This is how a plutocracy works.

The goals of Trump’s actions are clear Increase profits for his wealthiest backers by reducing regulations and programs protecting the public That could show a reduction in the federal budget to justify his proposed $4.5 trillion tax cut mostly for those plutocrats — even though it will add $2.8 trillion to the deficit our children will owe.

Maybe you should ask your representatives who they are working for Bob Marshall, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Louisiana environmental journalist, can be reached at bmarshallenviro@ gmail.com.

Vague policies don’t protect free speech

Until recently, I served on the faculty at LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication — my alma mater I was proud to return to the university that shaped me, where I learned to ask hard questions, think critically and engage with people who saw the world differently than I did.

When I was a student at LSU, some of my professors — informed by their research or professional experiences — spoke freely about their views. Some were conservative; some were liberal. In political communication classes, many were practitioners who had run campaigns, worked in government or advised elected officials. Of course, I knew their views. How could I not? But their perspectives didn’t “indoctrinate” me If anything, they sharpened my thinking, exposed me to competing arguments and instilled a respect for open discourse. In fact, my professors could take either side of an argument to challenge us in class. That is how you refine your thinking. They intentionally invited guest speakers from both sides of the aisle, ensuring that students heard different perspectives and had to engage with ideas they might not have considered

That is what higher education is supposed to do.

At the direction of Gov. Jeff Landry, the LSU Board of Supervisors has revised the university’s free speech policy — curbing the rights of professors in the name of “neutrality.” Under the new rules, faculty members cannot express political views in their classrooms unless it is directly related to the subject matter

The policy is intentionally vague, making it unclear what is and isn’t allowed. That ambiguity is by design. It creates a chilling effect. Professors will now self-censor out of fear that a single complaint could threaten their jobs.

Let’s be clear: This is not about protecting students from bias. It’s about controlling what ideas are heard on campus. If Landry were genuinely concerned about free speech, he would not be policing faculty speech while claiming to protect student expression. He wouldn’t create a culture of fear among professors while pretending to champion intellectual diversity He wouldn’t be using the state’s power to dictate what can and cannot be discussed in a university setting.

This policy is part of a broader trend sweeping through conservative-led states, where politicians exploit the language of “freedom” while actively suppressing it. They claim to fight for the First Amendment while using the government to silence views they don’t like. They argue that students should be exposed to a wide range of perspectives — unless those perspectives challenge their agenda.

The real danger here isn’t that students will be shielded from political opinions. It’s that they will be denied the very education that prepares them for civic life. A democracy cannot function without critical thinkers, without citizens who can weigh arguments, challenge assumptions and engage with people who disagree with them. That’s what universities are supposed to cultivate. I learned to think critically at LSU because my professors weren’t afraid to speak their minds. I worry that future students won’t have the same opportunity And that’s exactly what Landry wants.

Alyson Neel is a 2010 graduate of the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication, where she also served on the faculty in 2023-2024.

Alyson Neel GUEST COLUMNIST

Bob Marshall

PROVIDED PHOTO

Canals carved by oil and gas companies over the past 100 years, like these in Plaquemines Parish, have eroded into open water, contributing to a coastal land loss.

Ex-central banker to replace Trudeau as Canada’s PM

BY ROB GILLIES Associated Press

TORONTO Former central banker Mark Carney will become Canada’s next prime minister after the governing Liberal Party elected him its leader Sunday as the country deals with U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war and annexation threat, and a federal election looms. Carney, 59, replaces Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced his resignation in January but remains prime minister until his successor is sworn in the coming days. Carney won in a landslide, winning 85.9% of the vote.

“There is someone who is trying to weaken our economy,” Carney said. “Donald Trump, as we know, has put unjustified tariffs on what we build, on what we sell and how we make a living. He’s attacking Canadian families, workers and businesses and we cannot let him succeed and we won’t.”

Carney said Canada will keep retaliatory tariffs in place until “the Americans show us respect.” Carney navigated crises when he was the head of the Bank of Canada and when

in 2013 he became the first noncitizen to run the Bank of England since it was founded in 1694. His appointment won bipartisan praise in the U.K. after Canada recovered from the 2008 financial crisis

faster than many other countries.

The opposition Conservatives hoped to make the election about Trudeau, whose popularity declined as food and housing prices rose and

immigration surged.

Trump’s trade war and his talk of making Canada the 51st U.S. state have infuriated Canadians, who are booing the American anthem at NHL and NBA games. Some are canceling trips south of the border, and many are avoiding buying American goods when they can.

The surge in Canadian nationalism has bolstered the Liberal Party’s chances in a parliamentary election expected within days or weeks, and Liberal showings have been improving steadily in opinion polls.

“We have made this the greatest country in the world and now our neighbors want to take us. No way,” Carney said earlier

After decades of bilateral stability, the vote on Canada’s next leader now is expected to focus on who is best equipped to deal with the United States.

Carney has picked up one endorsement after another

IS-linked rebels in Congo kill 9 villagers

BY JUSTIN KABUMBA Associated Press

GOMA, Congo Islamic State-linked rebels attacked a village in conflict-battered eastern Congo killing at least nine villagers, a local official and residents said Sunday The Saturday attack in the village of Ngohi Vuyinga in North Kivu province’s Lubero territory also displaced dozens and several houses burned down, according to Samuel Kagheni, a local civil society leader Rebels with the Allied Democratic Forces, an IS affiliate in the region, attacked the villagers with guns and machetes while they were at their farms, Kagheni said.

“Yesterday’s toll could rise because there were even some missing people,”

he said. Eastern Congo has been battered by decades of violence, with more than 100 armed groups vying for control of the region’s rich minerals. Among them are Rwanda-backed rebels who recently captured two major cities in another part of the region. The violence has resulted in about 7 million people being displaced, making it the world’s largest humanitarian crisis

The latest attack renewed safety concerns among locals who accused the government of not doing enough to stop the conflict. “The peaceful population is still being killed, but there is no intervention on the government side,” said César Kambale, a youth leader of the nearby Vuyinga village

from Cabinet ministers and members of Parliament since declaring his candidacy in January. He is a highly educated economist with Wall Street experience who has long been interested in entering politics and becoming prime minister, but he lacks political experience. The other top Liberal leadership candidate was former Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland. Trudeau told Freeland in December that he no longer wanted her as finance minister, but that she could remain deputy prime minister and the point person for U.S.-Canada relations. Freeland resigned shortly after, releasing a scathing letter about the government that proved to be the last straw for Trudeau Carney is expected to trigger an election shortly afterward. Either Carney will call one, or the opposition parties in Parliament could force one with a no-confidence vote later this month.

Single-engine plane crashes near Pa. airport

All 5 aboard are taken to hospitals

BY CHRISTOPHER WEBER Associated Press

A single-engine airplane carrying five people crashed and burst into flames Saturday in the parking lot of a retirement community near a small airport in suburban Pennsylvania, and everyone on board survived, officials and witnesses said.

The fiery crash happened around 3 p.m. just south of Lancaster Airport in Manheim Township, police Chief Duane Fisher told reporters at an evening briefing. All five victims were taken to hospitals in unknown condition. Nobody on the ground was hurt, the chief said.

Brian Pipkin was driving nearby when he noticed the small plane climbing before it suddenly veered to the left.

“And then it went down nose first,” he told The Associated Press. “There was an immediate fireball.” Pipkin called 911 and then drove to the crash site, where he recorded video of black smoke billowing from the plane’s mangled wreckage and multiple cars engulfed in flames in a parking lot at Brethren Village. He said the plane narrowly missed hitting a three-story building at the sprawling retirement community about 75 miles west of Philadelphia.

CANADIAN PRESS PHOTO By ADRIAN WyLD

Liberal Party of Canada leadership candidate Mark Carney delivers a speech Sunday as he’s introduced during the Liberal leadership announcement in Ottawa, Ontario. Carney will be Canada’s next prime minister

SPORTS GETTING IT DONE

Stadium. Shores allowed two earned

and

Shores battles through five innings to help Tigers clinch series

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Few players on LSU’s team this season are more important than Chase Shores.

The redshirt sophomore right-hander entered the year as the third starter the Tigers desperately needed considering their struggles in finding someone to fill that role last season.

Combine that roster demand with his talent — standing at 6-foot-8, with a fastball up to 99 mph — and LSU had a player who could potentially transform its rotation.

“He’s really hard to get those extra base hits against,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “And when he limits free passes, there’s always a way out with him.”

But Shores missed all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery And in the four starts he’s made since his return, the results have been mixed

LSU

No. 4 Tigers sweep

Gophers in weekend series to improve to 23-1 overall

BY JIM KLEINPETER

Contributing writer

Suffocating is a term more readily used for defensive performance in sports The No. 4 LSU softball team is showing how it applies to offense. The Tigers smothered Minnesota from start to finish and top to bottom of the lineup in a 10-2 victory Sunday in the LSU Round Robin at Tiger Park. LSU finished the 4-0 weekend with its third consecutive five-inning mercy rule win and 10th of the season while improving to 23-1.

“The offense set out (in preseason) with words on what type of offense they wanted to be and one of them was ‘suffocating’,” LSU coach Beth Torina said. “They’ve done a good job of applying pressure at all times and in different ways, whether a big swing or a bunt or how they run the bases.” The Tigers (23-1) rocked Minnesota starter Sydney Schwartz with seven runs in the

Shores allowed two earned runs and nine hits in five innings on Sunday in LSU’s 11-5 win over North Alabama at Alex Box Stadium. He surrendered just one extra base hit but only had four strikeouts.

The victory clinched another series sweep for the Tigers.

“I just thought he kept his composure. I mean, he’s got great stuff,” Johnson said. “He’s not easy to hit. And he’s a definition of a bend (but) probably not going to break pitcher.”

The result was an improvement from his last outing against Sam Houston State when he gave up four earned runs in five innings. But he allowed two more hits on Sunday than he had the week before.

“The runs is the only thing that I really care about, to be honest with you,” Johnson said. “And like I said, I think he’s tough to score on.”

ä See SERIES, page 3B

LSU’s focus now is NCAA tourney

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

And that’s the most important storyline

BY ROD WALKER Sports columnist

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU pitcher Chase Shores delivers a pitch against North Alabama in the top of the third inning on Sunday at Alex Box

runs

nine hits in five innings in LSU’s 11-5 win over North Alabama.

Dunne discusses LSU career

BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer

Olivia Dunne wrapped up the home portion of her five-year LSU gymnastics career Friday night with the Tigers’ record-breaking 198.575-197.175 victory over Georgia, relegated to the role of spectator and moral support rather than competitor.

The All-American gymnast and social media superstar revealed Thursday that she has a fractured kneecap that would keep her out of the Georgia meet and could prevent her from competing again this season, something she has only done seven times to this point in 2025.

Still, was it worth it to her coming back? Absolutely she said in this interview from before the meet as she talks about her LSU career, getting to serve as grand marshal of the Endymion Mardi Gras parade, and what the future may hold for the 22-year old Hillsdale, New Jersey native after LSU and gymnastics:

Tell us about your knee injury. I have an avulsion fracture of my patella. I’ve been dealing with pain all season, and it got to the point where I needed imaging. It made me really sad that I didn’t have the opportunity to compete in the PMAC one last time Tiger fans have made the experience what it has been for me, made the impossible possible.

Considering you only got to compete a few times (most recently Jan. 24 at Arkansas), do you still think coming back for a fifth year was worthwhile?

One hundred percent. I have no regrets. I competed in three events in one meet for the first

LSU gymnast and social media influencer Olivia Dunne greets the crowd as the Krewe of Endymion parade rolls on March 1 in New Orleans. Dunne served as the grand marshal.

time in my college career bars, floor and beam (Jan. 11 in the Sprouts Collegiate Quad). To be able to do that was so cool. It’s an experience I’ll cherish the rest of my life. I can’t wait to bring my family back one day to LSU, my future children, and show them the banners from the time when I was at LSU.

What do you think the emotions of the final meet would be like?

The best word is grateful. For five years, through thick and thin, LSU Tiger fans have had my back and loved me through it all, whether I was healthy or hurt. Right now I’m hurt, so it’s a bittersweet experience. But I’m taking in every second.

Tell us about being grand marshal of Endymion. What kind of experience was that for someone from New Jersey? It was the best experience of my life. It was so cool and nothing could have prepared me for that. The way the culture is in Louisiana and the way everyone wants to have a good time and is so happy made it the coolest experience. D-D (former LSU coach D-D Breaux) told me I had to do it. I had never been to Mardi Gras because it’s during our season. But you do what D-D says.

You have taken a very public stance on two major issues this year,filing suit against the framework of the pending House settlement designed to create revenue sharing for college athletes and regarding the controversial changes to gymnastics scoring

GOLF ROUNDUP

Warriors’ Curry reaches 25,000 career points

Curry became the 26th player in NBA history to score 25,000 career points, reaching the milestone during the third quarter of the Golden State Warriors’ 115-110 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night. Curry, who turns 37 next Friday, surpassed 25,000 with a 3-pointer at the 8:32 mark of the third quarter then received a warm ovation when recognized during a timeout with 5:42 to go. He finished with 32 points — pushing his total to 25,017 — on 8-for-22 shooting and converted all 12 of his free throws.

in 2025. You have also created something called The Livvy Fund to help female college athletes find NIL opportunities.What do you hope your legacy in this respect will be?

I hope in women’s sports that there is always an opportunity to talk about issues bigger than just you. I had a platform to do that and I felt it was right. I feel I need to speak out on certain things, hence the tweet on the judging. I knew I had to speak out on women’s sports, especially with the revenue model starting next (academic) year. Women’s sports is in jeopardy, and I don’t think a lot of people know that.

Beyond that, in my time here at LSU and with NIL, I found that you’re more than your sport. That’s hopefully something people pick up and I can help them with. The NIL space can be quite intimidating to approach. There is no blueprint I started The Livvy Fund to create NIL deals for people. A lot of the women on our team are now doing posts for Accelerator (energy drink), one of my brand partners. Being able to give them an opportunity to do that and to help female athletes capitalize on NIL while they can is a big deal to me. I think people just expect men’s sports to lead. It’s been an honor

What is next for you after LSU and after gymnastics?

I think there will be a lot more free time day-to-day to pick and choose what I want to do I’m going to the Kentucky Derby (in May) so I’m very excited about that. I’m going to keep working with Sports Illustrated I don’t know what the future holds, but I’m excited and passionate about The Livvy Fund and growing it beyond LSU, to help female athletes nationwide.

Takeda wins her second LPGA title

The Associated Press

SANYA, China Rio Takeda shot a blistering 8-under 64 on Sunday to win the LPGA’s Blue Bay tournament by six shots ahead of Minjee Lee of Australia, the second LPGA title for the young Japanese.

The 21-year-old Takeda finished on 17-under 271 for the four rounds on China’s southern island of Hainan. She opened with rounds of 69-69-69 before carding the 64. Lee closed with a 67 to finish on 277 with Japanese Ayaka Furue a further shot back after a 68 to finish on 10-under 278.

Takeda won her first LPGA title four months ago, taking the Toto Japan Classic in a six-hole suddendeath playoff.

Jeeno Thitikul, the LPGA’s No. 2-ranked player, closed with a disappointing 74 and was 13 strokes off the pace. She finished on 4-under 284. It was also a disappointing tournament for Ruoning Yin of China She is ranked No. 4 but finished with a 73 and was 19 shots off the winning pace.

Bay Hill

HENLEY TAKES BAY HILL FOR BIGGEST CAREERWIN: In Orlando, Florida, Russell Henley delivered a late charge that would have made Arnold Palmer proud, capped off by chipping in for eagle on the 16th hole to rally with a 2-under 70 at Bay Hill on Sunday for the biggest victory of his career Henley trailed Collin Morikawa by three shots with five holes to play in the Arnold Palmer Invitational when it all changed with a pair of two-shot swings.

Morikawa missed the green on the par-3 14th hole and took bogey, while Henley hit his tee shot to just inside 10 feet for birdie, cutting the deficit to one shot. Nothing was more stunning than the par-5 16th hole, however

Morikawa laid up from a fairway bunker and hit wedge to 18 feet. Henley went through the green to thick rough and had to chip from more than 50 feet away

down the slope to a front pin on a green that was yellow, looking as though it barely had any grass.

It was racing toward the hole when it smacked into the pin and dropped for eagle, giving him the lead for the first time all day when Morikawa failed to convert his birdie putt.

Henley finished with two pars and Morikawa, who closed with a 72, couldn’t catch him.

“I was just so nervous. I can’t breathe right now,” Henley told NBC off the 18th green “It’s so hard and difficult around this place. I just tried to stay really tough this week.”

He made it tough on himself at times, particularly when he made a mess of both par 5s on the front nine to take bogey on each of them, and then starting the back nine with a bogey from the fairway

But the 35-year-old from Georgia made up for it in a big way, particularly the chip-in for eagle that he called a good break. It’s likely the ball would have run some 10 feet by the hole, if not run off the green Breaks like that are what wins tournaments.

“This game is just so hard,” he said. It was another close call for Morikawa, the two-time major champion whose game is back in order and now is missing only a trophy that he hasn’t hoisted in 17 months.

He began by holing a bunker shot for birdie on the first hole. He was in the lead all day, in control all day, in what had been a sleepy final round on a brutal test of fast, firm conditions.

And then suddenly he wasn’t.

“Hats off to Collin. He played super steady,” Henley said. “Sometimes golf is just mean like that.”

Corey Conners opened with 15 straight pars, made one birdie in his round of 71, and finished two shots behind. The consolation prize for the Canadian was earning the one spot available this week in the British Open this summer at Royal Portrush.

Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley set a tournament record

with a 29 on the front nine, only to stall and match the tournamentlow 64 to tie for fifth.

Defending champion Scottie Scheffler didn’t make enough putts or enough birdies for the week. He closed with a 70 and tied for 11th. Scheffler now heads two hours up the road to the TPC Sawgrass as the two-time defending champion at The Players Championship. Henley finished at 11-under 277 and earned $4 million from the $20 million purse. It was his fifth career win on the PGA Tour, though never against a field this strong. He was more than up to the task as his game has become consistently good over the last three years. The victory moves him to No. 7 in the world, and he looks the part of a top-10 player European Tour

HILLWINSTHREE-MAN PLAYOFFTO CLAIM

JOBURG OPEN TITLE: In Johannesburg, Scottish golfer Calum Hill made par on the second playoff hole to outlast South African rivals Jacques Kruyswijk and Shaun Norris and win the Joburg Open on Sunday

The extra holes took place to the backdrop of thunder and lightning at Houghton Golf Club, with all three players parring the first playoff hole the par-4 18th — to go back up to the tee.

Norris, who led overnight by four strokes, dropped out of contention after hitting his second shot into water from a fairway bunker before Hill left his birdie putt from off the green just short, tapping in for par Kruyswijk needed to roll in a par putt from 3 feet to extend the playoff, but pushed it right.

Hill, ranked No. 286, clinched his second European tour title the first being the Cazoo Classic in 2021. He shot 8-under 62 to set the clubhouse target at 14 under and was joined in the playoff first by Kruyswijk (66), who was seeking a second victory in three weeks after winning the Magical Kenya Open last month, and then Norris after his two birdies in the last three holes to complete a round of 70. Norris, bidding for a wire-towire victory won the Alfred Dunhill Championship in December

“It was a surprise actually I knew I was coming up on it but I didn’t think about it until I heard it in game,” Curry said.

Browns, DE Garrett agree to record 4-year contract

Myles Garrett is staying in Cleveland after the Browns gave him a record four-year contract extension that makes the four-time AllPro edge rusher the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history

A person with knowledge of the details told The Associated Press that Garrett’s deal includes $122.8 million guaranteed, an average annual salary of $40 million with a total value of $204.8 million. The person spoke Sunday on condition of anonymity Garrett had asked for a trade last month but the Browns were adamant about keeping the 29-yearold star in Cleveland.

Garrett’s contract raises the bar for other non-QBs, including Bengals All-Pro wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons. Cincinnati already has stated plans to make Chase the highest-paid non-QB in the league.

Loucks returns to Florida State as hoops coach TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Luke Loucks is returning to Florida State to take over as the coach of the Seminoles. Florida State announced the hire on Sunday The 34-year-old Loucks is replacing Leonard Hamilton, who is stepping down at the end of this season. A Clearwater native, Loucks played at Florida State from 200812. He averaged 7.1 points and 3.3 rebounds as a senior and was part of a Seminoles team that defeated Miami, Duke and North Carolina on consecutive days to win the ACC Tournament title in March 2012. Loucks had been an assistant coach for the NBA’s Sacramento Kings since 2022. He also has worked for the Golden State Warriors, helping the team win NBA titles in 2017 and 2018, and Phoenix Suns.

Giants re-sign fan favorite DeVito to a 1-year deal

The New York Giants officially have a quarterback under contract on their roster

The team announced late Saturday it re-signed Tommy DeVito, an exclusive rights free agent whose one-year deal is worth $1.03 million.

He started eight games for the Giants since joining the team as an undrafted free agent in 2023 out of Illinois.

Backups Drew Lock and Tim Boyle are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents, leaving DeVito alone atop New York’s quarterback depth chart — at least for now

The Giants are expected to target a veteran in free agency with Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson possibilities.

N.C. State fires Keatts a year after ACC title run

It was less than a year ago that Kevin Keatts and N.C. State took over March, taking a wild ride to the program’s first Atlantic Coast Conference title in nearly 38 years followed by an improbable run to its first Final Four in even longer And now, Keatts is out of a job. N.C. State fired coach Keatts on Sunday, an abrupt end to an eightyear tenure that saw the program’s fall this year prove too much to overcome even when framed against last season’s remarkable finish. The announcement came a day after the Wolfpack closed a 1219 season and failed to qualify for the ACC Tournament as the reigning champion. Keatts’ base contract ran through April 2030, which had included a two-year extension automatically triggered with last year’s postseason milestones.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By yANG GUANyU

Rio Takeda holds the winner’s trophy during the awards ceremony after the final round of the Blue Bay LPGA tournament on Sunday in Lingshui, South China’s Hainan Province.

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, right, smiles as he leaves the field with Tommy Edman during a game against the Texas Rangers on March 6 in Phoenix.

ASSOCIATED

Dodgers, Cubs prepare for season opener in Japan

BY DAVID BRANDT AP baseball writer

GLENDALE, Ariz Shohei Ohtani’s bat is ready for the Los Angeles Dodgers while Shota Imanaga has looked good on the mound for the Chicago Cubs with less than 10 days remaining before baseball’s regular-season opener in Japan.

The teams will play two games at the Tokyo Dome on March 18 and 19.

The early start to the season — more than a week before the schedule begins domestically — has led to a truncated spring schedule for the Dodgers and Cubs, though both teams have managed to navigate the shorter preparation time in fairly good health.

They’re trying to keep it that way as they navigate a fun, but unique week that includes long flights to and from Japan, along with a 15-hour time difference between the two locations.

“It’s two games and we’re not going to exhaust everything to get ready for two games,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said early in camp. “But also, we want to be ready and prepared to win two games in Tokyo while appreciating that when we come back, we’ll have time to get ready for the domestic opener.”

All eyes have been on Ohtani, the reigning National League MVP, who is still recovering

SERIES

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The two runs he surrendered came in the third inning on a pair of one-out run-scoring singles, but things could have snowballed for Shores in a bad way after the Lions loaded the bases after both scores. Shores got a strikeout and forced a pop out to himself to escape the inning.

He also wiggled out of jams in the first and fifth innings as North Alabama (3-11) had a runner in scoring position in each inning

“There’s no other option, honestly.” Shores said. “Just pound the zone and try to get out of the inning for my team.”

After recording most of his outs through the ground the last two weeks, Shores only induced two groundouts against North Alabama. Nine of the 15 outs he garnered came on fly balls.

“It was just the location the (pitches) were called,” Shores said. “If it was a higher location, there would probably be a pop up on that one.”

As Shores kept on working his way out of mini jams, LSU’s offense continued to roll against North Alabama’s pitching.

The big inning for the Tigers’ attack came in the sixth when LSU (16-1) scored six runs on a grand slam and two singles to take an 11-2 lead.

Singles from Brown and redshirt junior Tanner Reaves and a hit by pitch to start the inning had loaded the bases for freshman Derek Curiel. Curiel then walked — his third of the day — to drive in a run before junior Daniel Dickinson hit a single off the end of his bat that trickled down the third base line. The base hit allowed the inning to continue and scored the second run. It also kept the bases loaded for senior Josh Pearson who blasted a ball over the Diamond Deck in right field and onto the roof of the Marucci Performance Center

from offseason surgery on his left (non-throwing) shoulder The 30-year-old has looked fine at the plate during Cactus League play with a .357 average in 14 at-bats, including a double and a homer

The two-way star won’t pitch in Japan and has slowed his work on the mound in recent days as he concentrates on being the designated hitter in Tokyo. Roberts believes that Ohtani could return to the mound in May though the manager said he’s keeping the timeline intentionally vague.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto and rookie Roki Sasaki are expected to start on the mound for the Dodgers in the regular-season games in Japan. The 23-year-old Sasaki was dominant in his first spring outing with five strikeouts over three scoreless innings.

Yamamoto will throw on Monday and Sasaki on Tuesday in their final spring training starts.

Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman has smacked three homers so far in the Cactus League, appearing to recover well from offseason ankle surgery Mookie Betts has been solid in his transition to a role as the full-time shortstop

Both teams will have a 31-man travel roster in Japan that will be reduced to 26 for the two regularseason games. All 31 players will be available to play in exhibition games against Japanese teams on

The blast was Pearson’s first career grand slam.

“I was just looking for a pitch up in the zone that I could drive,” Pearson said. “And he hung me a changeup first pitch, and I saw it out of the hand and put a good swing on it.”

Milam, Brown and Jones all finished the day with multiple hits The Tigers were 7-for-11 with runners on base.

“I thought it was a very workmanlike performance from the hitters,” Johnson said.

LSU’s attack started with four runs in the first inning on a tworun home run from junior Jared Jones, a run-scoring single from sophomore Jake Brown and a stolen base attempt from Brown — he was caught stealing at second base — that allowed sophomore Steven Milam to score from third.

Jones’ homer was his sixth of the year LSU wouldn’t score again until the fourth inning when Milam hit his fourth homer, a solo shot that gave the Tigers a 5-2 advantage.

“We all knew the home runs would come with the weather and things like that, but our approach doesn’t really change,” Pearson said. “Just try to hit line drives at the middle of the field and just take balls and crush mistakes.”

Following Shores, junior righthander Connor Benge entered in relief and threw a scoreless sixth inning before handing the ball off to redshirt sophomore right-hander Jaden Noot.

Noot struck out two batters in a flawless inning prior to freshman left-hander Cooper Williams walking two batters and giving up an unearned run in the eighth.

Junior right-hander Chandler Dorsey allowed two unearned runs before recording the final out in the ninth inning.

LSU faces Xavier of Ohio on Tuesday at Alex Box Stadium before Southeastern Conference play starts over the weekend.

First pitch is at 6:30 p.m. and will be available to stream on SEC Network+.

Mets catcher Alvarez out 6-8 weeks with fracture

The Associated Press

PORT ST LUCIE,Fla. New York Mets

catcher Francisco Alvarez has a fractured hamate bone in his left hand that will require surgery Manager Carlos Mendoza said Sunday that Alvarez sustained the injury Saturday during live batting practice. He is scheduled for surgery on Monday

“It’s a big blow when your starting catcher goes down,” Mendoza told reporters. “But guys will step up. Guys will get opportunities.”

Mendoza added that the injury would keep Alvarez out for six to eight weeks.

It’s the second straight season that Alvarez has dealt with an injury to his left hand. He missed about two months last year after tearing a ligament in his left thumb when he slipped on the basepaths in an April game.

“He’s down, obviously, but it’s not the first time,” Mendoza said. “It sucks for him. He takes it personal and he takes it hard; he cares. We’ll do everything that we can in our power to stay positive with him and get him back on the field as soon as possible.”

a 4-4 record with a 5.02 ERA last year, throwing in 39 games, including two starts. He had 54 strikeouts in 51 innings.

Manager Dave Roberts said Sunday that Grove has been dealing with pain in the shoulder since last season.

“He’s disappointed,” Roberts said. “He’s already had Tommy John and didn’t want to do another surgery He tried to tough it out and pitch through it, but it was just compromising his performance and recovery.”

Grove was a second-round pick for the Dodgers in 2018 after playing in college at West Virginia.

Baltimore Orioles

RIGHT-HANDER RODRIGUEZ SHUT DOWN FOR UP TO 10 DAYS WITH ELBOW INFLAMMATION: In Lakeland, Fla., Baltimore right-hander Grayson Rodriguez has inflammation in his throwing elbow and will be shut down for up to 10 days.

March 15 and 16.

The Cubs are close to full strength, though the team has said that second baseman Nico Hoerner will remain in the U.S. as he continues to focus on being ready for the domestic opening day on March 27. Hoerner is recovering from surgery on his right forearm in October Chicago’s plan is to start Imanaga in the opener, with lefty Justin Steele pitching the second game. Imanaga was sharp in his latest spring training outing, throwing four scoreless innings against the Padres, giving up just two hits and striking out three.

He’ll have one more outing in Arizona on Monday

The left-hander had an excellent debut season in MLB in 2024, finishing with a 15-3 record and a 2.91 ERA. Another Japanese player, Seiya Suzuki, is expected to be Chicago’s designated hitter in Tokyo after hitting 21 homers last season.

Manager Craig Counsell said most of the team’s players came to spring training in late January far before the team’s Feb. 9 report date — in an effort to have normal preparation time before the trip to Japan.

“It’s created some urgency for our players,” Counsell told reporters on Friday “Our pitching department did a fabulous job over the offseason in getting these guys ready.”

The 23-year-old Alvarez hit .237 with 11 home runs and 47 RBIs in 100 games last season.

With Alvarez out, Luis Torrens will fill in as the team’s everyday catcher Hayden Senger, Jakson Reetz and Chris Williams will compete to back him up.

“It’s an opportunity for someone else to step up,” Mendoza said.

“There’s a reason why they’re here Senger is a really good defensive catcher, Reetzy has got some big league experience. These guys can handle a pitching staff, they can receive, so we feel good.”

The 28-year-old Torrens is a seven-year veteran who hit .229 with three homers and 15 RBIs in 47 games for New York last season.

Reetz hit a grand slam in the first inning of the Mets’ 7-6 exhibition win over Washington on Sunday

While the Mets believe they have plenty of depth at the position, president of baseball operations David Stearns said they could look to add a player to help while Alvarez is out.

Los Angeles Dodgers

RHP GROVE OUT FOR SEASON AFTER SHOULDER SURGERY: In Glendale, Ariz., Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Michael Grove will miss the upcoming season after having surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder

The 28-year-old right-hander has pitched in parts of the last three seasons for the Dodgers. He had

Manager Brandon Hyde told reporters Sunday that Rodriguez received a cortisone shot and that he’d resume a throwing program in 7 to 10 days. Hyde had ruled out Rodriguez for the start of the season because of discomfort in his elbow earlier this week.

“Having some discomfort in the back of his elbow, so we are still getting multiple opinions,” Hyde told reporters. “It’s not a ligament issue, so we’re not concerned about that. But it’s going to result in some missed time. We’re getting the results, we’re talking to multiple people about what the treatment etc. is as of right now The timeline, we’re not sure on it.” The 25-year-old Rodriguez was 13-4 with a 3.86 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 20 starts for the Orioles last season. Baltimore opens at Toronto on March 27.

Minnesota Twins RHP RAMIREZ OUT FOR EXTENDED TIME WITH TEAR IN SHOULDER: In Fort Myers, Fla., Minnesota right-hander Erasmo Ramirez has a significant tear in his shoulder and will be out for an extended period. Twins trainer Nick Paparesta told reporters about the injury on Saturday, adding that it will be weeks before Ramirez is re-examined to determine his progress. The 34-year-old Ramirez signed a minor league contract with the Twins in the offseason and was vying for a position in their bullpen.

Umpire Dustin Douglass calls the out after LSU third baseman Danieca Coffey made the tag on Minnesota outfielder Breezy Burnett in the fifth inning of their game on Sunday at Tiger Park

LSU

Continued from page 1B

first two innings and three in the fifth against the third Gopher pitcher Camerson Grayson to end the game as eight of nine starters had at least one hit.

McKenzie Redoutey got it started with a clutch two-run single in the first. Danieca Coffey had a run-scoring double in the seventh and No. 9 hitter Avery Hodge had her second triple in two days, scoring the winning run when Jalia Lassiter launched a ball over right fielder Nani Valencia’s head

Even LSU outs were loud. Lassiter scorched a line drive to first baseman Maggie Werner with the bases loaded that resulted in a double play Jadyn Laneaux hit into another double play with a

liner to left field. Tori Edwards was then thrown out at the plate trying to score. “It’s just a combination of everything this team has put in,” said Hodge, the Oklahoma transfer, who had a bases-loaded triple the night before. “We’ve been working really hard to be where we’re at. With each at-bat we’re trying to get better and better.

It’s buying in to what we’re facing and seeing, going all in for that pitch.” Torina emphasized the effort considering the competition.

“They did it against a really good arm; their off-speed pitcher (Schwartz) is really dirty,” Torina said. “It’s nice to see them live up to that against a really good arm.

They knew the off speed was going to be a factor It was a good opportunity to try some things, and it worked out.”

LSU pitcher Sydney Berzon held down the Gophers despite giving up 10 hits, the second most in her career Taylor Krapf hit a solo homer in the fourth and the Gophers (11-12) got five hits in the fifth but could score only one run. Berzon (9-0) also had a strong defense behind her Hodge made a nice play for a force-out at third in the fifth and started a double play in the third by snagging a line drive and firing to first base.

“It was a good offense we faced,” said Berzon, who finished with three strikeouts. “They were coming out pretty hot with a win before us. They’re good swingers. It was a matter of staying calm, one pitch at a time, not focused on anything going on around me, throwing each pitch.

“You can see all the effort we put in as a defense all through preseason. It’s starting to show.”

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Season in a nutshell

LSU’s rebounding woes continue in regular-season finale

BY TOYLOY BROWN III

Staff writer

Derek Fountain put his hands to his face in disbelief before jogging to the LSU men’s basketball locker room at halftime.

Jordan Sears, who had his way against bigger defenders, couldn’t get downhill with 10 seconds left in the first half. The point guard pitched it to Mike Williams at the top of the key with three seconds on the shot clock. The sophomore’s subtle head fake allowed him to get near the free-throw line and make a crisp pass to an open Fountain on the right block.

The 6-foot-9, fifth-year senior didn’t use the backboard and blew an easy layup.

Despite possessing a 32-30 halftime lead over No. 22 Texas A&M (22-9, 11-7 SEC), the miss was an omen of things to come for LSU offensively The Tigers scored a season-low in their 6652 loss to the Aggies in the final game of the regular season on Saturday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center

NCAA

Continued from page 1B

that emerged from LSU’s latest trip to the SEC Tournament.

The No. 3-seeded Tigers didn’t reach the title game. But they did pick up a double-digit victory over the No. 11-seeded Gators setting a program conference tournament scoring record in the process. They also fought through a tight semifinal loss to No. 2-seeded Texas, finding confidence that even a depleted version of themselves can still compete with the top teams in the country

The Longhorns are the No 1 team in the Associated Press Top 25 poll, and they have one of the 12 best scoring offenses in the nation. Yet they could score only 56 points on 32% shooting against LSU, a team that dealt with their fair share of adversity throughout the tournament.

Flau’jae Johnson (shin) didn’t play in either of LSU’s games, and Mulkey spent time away from her team before its quarterfinal win over Florida while she grieved the loss of a loved one back in Louisiana. Then Morrow injured her foot

“I’ve won a bunch of conference tournaments,” Mulkey said. “Everybody loves to win. Everybody loves to get a trophy But at the end of the day, I’ve also been in those tournaments where I had injuries. Those kids couldn’t go on and play in the most important tournament, the NCAA Tournament.”

All indications are that this LSU team will not have that problem. All three of its stars can play in the Big Dance, and now, they may

LSU (14-17, 3-15) also shot a season-low 30% from the field. While scoring woes were more pronounced in its last game, it has been an issue throughout the season.

The challenge of getting the ball through the net can be traced back to the season-ending ACL injury of Jalen Reed. He averaged 11 points per game and was the most reliable low-post option for the Tigers and a burgeoning playmaker as he demanded double teams.

The junior’s absence after getting hurt in the eighth game of the season irreparably altered LSU’s offensive ceiling as its other interior options were either too inexperienced or lacked strong lowpost skills.

More injuries befell LSU, closing the regular season without freshman Vyctorius Miller and redshirt freshman Corey Chest who missed their second and third consecutive game because of injury, respectively

“Vyctorius and Corey still have yet to return to practice,” LSU coach Matt McMahon said. “Corey has missed quite a few games now It was the back injury in Oklahoma, and now he’s got a foot injury Vyctorious, it’s the same ankle that cost him games in early SEC play, rolled it at Mississippi State. And

even team up with a reenergized group of role players to compete for a trip back to the Final Four, a journey that will begin inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center Against Florida, LSU’s bench chipped in 28 points the most it’s scored since Feb. 9. Kailyn Gilbert added 10, and Mjracle Sheppard kicked in 12 to pair with two steals while starting for the first time this season. The Tigers role players didn’t provide as much scoring against Texas. But the defense they played in the second half after Morrow exited the action and Mikaylah Williams picked up her fourth foul made life tough on the Longhorns, who have now had two of their three worst shooting days of the season come in games against LSU Texas led 36-32 when Williams subbed out of the game at the 2:28 mark of the third quarter

While she sat, the group of six players who saw the floor in her absence Sheppard, Gilbert, LastTear Poa, Jada Richard, Sa’Myah

Southern men, women basketball secure No. 1 seed in SWAC tourney

BY CHARLES SALZER Contributing writer

The Southwestern Athletic Conference announced the pairings for its men’s and women’s tournaments, which will be held concurrently this week at Gateway Center Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.

Southern’s men’s and women’s teams are the No. 1 seeds in their respective brackets. Both teams begin play on Wednesday in the quarterfinal round.

The Southern men will play the winner of Tuesday’s contest between No. 8 Grambling and No. 9 Alabama A&M. That contest will begin at 1 p.m. Also on Southern’s side of the bracket are No. 4 Texas Southern and No. 5 Alabama

State, which handed the Jaguars two of their regular season conference losses.

Southern’s women are paired up with Tuesday’s game between No. 8 Florida A&M and No. 9 Mississippi Valley The Jaguars’ women’s quarterfinal will be played at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday The bracket’s other quarterfinal will pit No. 4 Jackson State against No. 5 Grambling. Men’s and women’s semifinals will be played on Friday, and the championship games will follow on Saturday All SWAC Tournament games will be streamed on ESPN+. Southern’s games will also be broadcast on radio by Heaven 95.3 FM and 1460 AM.

Duke takes over after half to beat N.C. State

BY AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Oluchi Okananwa had 22 points and 10 rebounds to help No. 11 Duke rally from a 14-point deficit to beat No. 7 N.C. State 76-62 on Sunday for the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament title.

has yet to return to practice, so once again, he’ll also be off tomorrow, be in treatment, both of them obviously, and see where they stand on Monday.”

Miller, the team’s third-leading scorer (8.9) and Chest, the team’s leading rebounder (6.6), each had stints of starting and performing well for the Tigers.

Rebounding was central to Texas A&M’s dominance in the second half. The Aggies entered leading the nation in offensive rebounding rate and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds and 17 secondchance points.

LSU needed its bigs Robert Miller and Daimion Collins to be a physical presence in collecting boards but both fouled out in less than 15 minutes of play

Poor defensive rebounding isn’t a new phenomenon for LSU or one that only occurs when its best available frontcourt players are in foul trouble. The Tigers have been one of the worst defensive rebounding teams in the country, currently 347th in defensive rebounding rate, according to KenPom.

The Tigers’ disappointing finale aligns with the overall regular season. However, they must move on and prepare for its SEC tournament game against No. 25 Mississippi State at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Nashville, Tennessee.

Smith and Jersey Wolfenbarger — managed to shave a point off the Longhorns’ lead, giving Williams a chance to reignite the Tigers’ offense and drive LSU in front by the time she checked back in at the 6:42 mark of the fourth.

“They competed with the No. 1 team in the country today without Flau’Jae, without Morrow and (with) Mikaylah sitting a lot,” Mulkey said.

“I’ll take that any day.”

LSU, however, never quite figured out a way to find open shots — with or without Morrow and Williams. Since Mulkey took over the program, it’s never scored fewer points in a game than it did on Saturday The Tigers also missed eight free throws — a recurrence of a problem that stood in the way of their hopes of upsetting the Longhorns in the regular season. That day LSU clanked six freebies and lost 65-58.

But the Tigers’ win over Florida, coupled with the fight they displayed in the loss to Texas, showed them what’s possible.

In that game, Morrow scored 36 points — more than any Tiger ever has in the SEC Tournament.

Now she’ll have about two weeks to make sure her foot can handle the rigors of the NCAA Tournament, the postseason action that LSU was prioritizing all along, well before it took another eventful trip to the conference tournament and returned (mostly) unscathed.

“To me, it’s too long,” Mulkey said. “If you have conference tournaments, do we really need all 16 teams in the conference tournament? I don’t know.”

Email Reed Darcey at reed. darcey@theadvocate.com.

The win secured the Blue Devils’ first ACC title in a dozen years and their first under coach Kara Lawson.

Okananwa, who came off the bench to match her career high for scoring, was the voted the tournament’s MVP for thirdseeded Duke (26-7), which took over after halftime against the tournament’s top seed and regular-season co-champion Wolfpack (26-6). Ashlon Jackson also scored 22 for Duke.

Aziaha James scored 18 points for N.C State, which scored the game’s first seven points and took its largest lead at 24-10 on her 3-pointer early in the second quarter

Big Ten Championship No 4 UCLA 72, No. 2 USC 67: In Indianapolis, Coach Cori Close challenged UCLA to arrive at the Big Ten Tournament as a tougher, more aggressive group than the one that lost to its dreaded rival, USC, last weekend.

The changes certainly worked in Sunday’s title game.

UCLA dug down and overcame major foul trouble, a huge rebounding disparity, two dozen turnovers, their star’s first-half struggles and, eventually, a

13-point deficit to beat No. 2 USC 72-67 for their first Big Ten tourney title.

“I’m kind of speechless right now,” All-American center Lauren Betts said after cutting down the nets in Indianapolis. “I think the work that was done in the dark last week showed today.”

Big 12 Championship No. 8 TCU 64, No. 2 BAYLOR 59: In Kansas City, Missouri, Tournament MVP Hailey Van Lith scored 20 points, including a key bucket with 48.8 seconds left, and top-seeded TCU beat No. 2 seed Baylor on Sunday at the T-Mobile Center to win the program’s first Big 12 Championship.

For Van Lith, it was the latest chapter in a year of success, including a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, a Big 12 regular season title and being named the conference’s player of the year

South Carolina routs Texas for 9th SEC title

BY STEVE REED AP sportswriter

GREENVILLE, S.C. — South Carolina

coach Dawn Staley thought winning this year’s SEC Championship would be much harder than any of the school’s previous titles after the league added Texas and Oklahoma to the mix. But it didn’t look all that hard at all for the fifth-ranked Gamecocks.

Tournament MVP Chloe Kitts

finished with 15 points and nine rebounds, Tessa Johnson added 14 points and South Carolina completed a dominant three-day run in Greenville by knocking off No. 1 and second-seeded Texas 64-45 on Sunday to win its third straight Southeastern Conference Tournament championship and ninth title in the last 11 years under Staley

“They are young people that come down here and perform to a high standard every single time they step on the floor and for that I am super proud of them,” Staley said. Sania Feagin and Joyce Edwards each had 11 points for the Gamecocks, who boldly staked their claim to a No 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The Gamecocks won their three tournament games by 21, 18 and 19 points with the last two coming against newcomers No. 10 Oklahoma and Texas.

None of them looked prepared to handle South Carolina’s intensity South Carolina (30-3) never trailed and blew the game open with a 19-2 run to start the second quarter to build a 33-16 lead at the break behind a stifling defense. The lead ballooned to 21 early in the fourth quarter and the Gamecocks were never threatened again.

“I took two timeouts in the second quarter and we just could not stop (their momentum),” Texas coach Vic Schaefer said. Staley improved to 5-0 against Schaefer in the SEC title games, although the previous four came when he coached at Mississippi State.

Kitts average 16.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game during the tournament and shot 74% from the field, but the Gamecocks got contributions from several players as Staley rolled in one talented player after another But the team defense was key

The Gamecocks held All-American Madison Booker to 10 points on 4-of-13 shooting to snap Texas’ 15-game win streak and forced 18 turnovers. Taylor Jones and Rori Harmon led Longhorns (31-3) with 14 points each.

Said Harmon: “We have another big tournament ahead of us and we have to learn from our mistakes. but this game will haunt us as a team.”

AP PHOTO By DAVID yEAZELL

LSU head coach Kim Mulkey makes a traveling gesture during a game against Florida on Friday in Greenville, S.C.

PHOTO By PATRICK DENNIS

LSU guard Curtis Givens drives to the basket as Texas A&M guard CJ Wilcher defends in the second half of their game on Saturday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center

AP PHOTO By CHUCK BURTON N.C. State guard Aziaha James defends against Duke guard Ashlon Jackson during the ACC tournament championship on Sunday in Greensboro, N.C.

THE VARSITY ZONE

Zachary girls hoops make some history

Broncos beat Parkway for first state title since 1927

BY ROBIN FAMBROUGH Staff writer

When opportunity knocked, third-seeded Zachary answered with desire and execution.

The net result — a 54-41 victory over two-time reigning champion Parkway in the Division I nonselect title game — provided a storybook ending for the Broncos and the LHSAA’s girls basketball tournament on Saturday night

finals appearances. Title-game MVP Tiarra McPipe and backcourt running mate Ava Raymond set the tone.

McPipe, a Loyola signee, had a team-high 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting with eight rebounds and three assists in the game at Southeastern Louisiana’s University Center

Howard countered with eight second-quarter points. Her jumper from the right side gave Parkway its first lead at 19-17 with 4:39 left in the half.

The Panthers scored the next four points and extended their lead to seven on a layup off a turnover by Howard at the 3:21 mark.

Semifinalists bring different pedigrees to state tourney

Southern Lab has strong history; NIHS back after drought

BY WILLIAM WEATHERS

Contributing writer

Southern Lab coach Harold Boudreaux said his team is reaping the benefits of some difficult early-season challenges. The Kittens won five of eight games against teams from Classes 4A and 5A in that span and consequently developed a team built for the long haul.

No. 3 Southern Lab (20-7) returns to the Division IV select state semifinals for the first time in three years with a matchup against No. 2 Lincoln Prep (25-6) at 1 p.m. Monday at the LHSAA boys state tournament at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles.

“We were battle-tested since the beginning of the season,” said Boudreaux, whose team has won eight of its last nine games. “We always played outside of our division to make sure we could get ready for this type of environment, which is good hard-nosed basketball.”

Southern Lab, a 16-time state champion, was a state quarterfinalist last year ago. The Kittens return several players who are now seniors from that team, led by point guard Braylon Brown (14.9 points, 3.5 assists), forward/ center Charles LeBlanc (11.5 points, 7.0 rebounds) and forward/ center Braydon Laws (5.7 points, 4.5 rebounds).

Eighth-grade guard-forward

Channing Briggs (13.8) and forward Warren Gougisha (11.3 points, 6.0 rebounds) also average double figures.

“We saw something early, made some adjustments and we’re playing well right now, and that’s what counts,” Boudreaux said. East Iberville ends a 29-year state tournament drought when the No. 6 Tigers (19-14) meet and No. 2 Franklin, which is the reigning state champion. The Division IV nonselect semifinal is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. Monday

“It’s going to be a tough task,” East Iberville’s second-year coach Donivan Maryland. “They’re the state champions so it’s a program that’s had a lot of success as of late, and they know what it takes to win.”

The heroics of junior forward Collin Banks helped East Iberville reach this juncture. Banks took a pass from Marcus Holmes and hit a shot from the lane with eight-tenths of a second to go for a 47-46 upset win at No. 3 Lakeview

The Tigers have a pair of double-figure scorers in senior guard Tyler Green (10.2 points) and Holmes (10.1 points, 5.2 rebounds).

Sophomore guard Chase Joseph (7.8 points, 3.5 assists), Banks (6.7 points, 5.9 rebounds) and junior point guard A.J, Wilson (5.0 points, 2.5 assists) are part of a well-balanced team.

“With the exception of East Ascension, we’ve been close in every game since January,” Maryland said. “With our last two playoff games, the experience of losing those close games has helped us to win the last two close games.”

Late Saturday

“I only have a son, so these are my daughters,” said Zachary coach Tami McClure, who previously won two titles as head coach at St. Michael. “I’m tough on them. I’m old school and sometimes they think I do too much. But I want them to be amazing women when they leave this school.

“I’ve done this before. I wanted this for them. They worked for it and now they have this (trophy) to show for it.”

Zachary (26-4) had not been to a girls basketball title game since 1984. The championship is the school’s first in girls basketball since 1927 Top-seeded Parkway finishes 27-3 with four straight

PELICANS

Continued from page 1B

highlight in the first quarter

On the play Murphy with his back to the basket — leaped high and caught a Jose Alvarado pass thrown from beyond half court and finished the alley-oop with a backwards slam.

It was the start of what turned out to be a good first half for the Pelicans, who led 64-57 at halftime. Murphy scored 12 points in the half and got plenty of help from role players. Jordan Hawkins, who started, scored nine points in the half. So did rookie Antonio Reeves, who came off the bench and knocked down all three of his 3-point attempts in the first half. But the Pels let the Grizzlies climb back into it in the third quarter, getting outscored 32-15. Morant scored 11 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter

One night after completing their season series and going winless in their four games against the Houston Rockets, the Pelicans also finished their season series with the Grizzlies without a win. The chances of winning this one looked bleak from the start, with Williamson and McCollum sitting out on the second night of back-to-back games.

Raymond scored 12 second-half points to finish with 16 points. She also had 12 rebounds. Just like a semifinal win over area rival Walker, Raymond converted putbacks and added a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter

Dakota Howard led Parkway with a game-high 18 points and finished with 6 of 18 from the field. Howard managed just four second-half points against the Broncos’ zone defense. Zachary opted to deny passes rather than draw a charge.

“It means a lot to me because I’m a senior,” McPipe said. “I needed to win something before I leave.”

Zachary grabbed the momentum early The Broncos led 13-7 after a 3-pointer by Kaitlyn Blake. Parkway scored seven of the final nine points but still trailed 15-13 after one quarter

Baskets by McPipe and Asia Bell in the final 33 seconds cut the Parkway lead to 25-23 by halftime. The Broncos regained the momentum slowly in the third quarter, outscoring Parkway 11-7. Zachary held a 34-32 lead ahead of the fourth quarter

Zachary outscored the Panthers 20-9 in the final quarter Raymond scored twice. By the time McPipe raced down court for a layup it was 42-34, forcing Parkway to call a timeout with 4:55 left.

After that, the Broncos continued to execute. They made 7 of 12 shots from the field in the quarter By contrast, Parkway was 4 of 16.

“Congratulations to Zachary They had a great game plan,” Parkway coach Gloria Williams said. “When the ball is not falling for you the way you’re used to it falling, it’s going to be a tough night. We had that happen.”

Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado guards Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant in the first half of their game Sunday at the Smoothie King Center

The Pelicans (17-48) lost their fourth straight game. All four losses came against teams in the upper echelon of the Western Conference. The Pelicans’ recent skid started with a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers (currently second in the West), then consecutive losses to the Rockets (fifth in the West) and now the fourth-place Griizzlies (40-24). “It’s part of the NBA,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “Part of

being in this league, especially being in the Western Conference, there are no nights off. Pretty much everyone you’re going to face is going to be physical. They have something to play for So for us, it doesn’t change. We have to go into it with the right mindset and the right approach.”

The Pelicans’ homestand continues Tuesday against the Los Angeles Clippers and then Thursday against the Orlando Magic.

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

PHOTO By PATRICK DENNIS

Boudreaux shouts instructions to his players

nals of the East Baton Rouge boys

on Dec. 28 at Scotlandville

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Zachary guard Ava Raymond drives past Parkway guard Khia Thomas in the first period of the Division I nonselect championship at the LHSAA girls basketball tournament on Saturday at Southeastern Louisiana’s University Center in Hammond.

LHSAA

THE BELLS TOLL

‘THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME’ Sullivan Theater 8849 Sullivan Road Baton Rouge l Show runs March 14-23 with a 7:30 p.m curtain Thursday to Saturday and a 2 p.m. matinee on Sundays. l Tickets $35 for adults and $25 for students and children, available for purchase at sullivantheater.com/ tickets

BY SERENA PUANG | Staff writer

hat makes a monster and what makes a man?

This is the question the Sullivan Theater’s newest production will answer with “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”

The volunteer-run community theater in Central is opening its 2025 season with the musical which takes plot inspiration from the novel with the same name by Victor Hugo but has some of the music from the Disney movie. Director Heath McNeese said that it will get people thinking about the labels they’ve attached to people.

“Looks are deceiving,” he said. “If we judge people by physical characteristics or ability, then we aren’t seeing them as a complete human.”

ä See ‘HUNCHBACK’, page 2C

SHADES

SUCCESS

awards gala to honor women of color

sulting professional

n Danielle Janay Chretien,

media journalist and now a communication/grants director

n Sydney Simone, TV news anchor and founder of the “College Playground” podcast

n Tyra Banks, program development, public policy and con-

chiatric/mental health nurse practitioner and owner of Transformative Health, LLC

n

Is there a link between gum disease and Alzheimer’s disease?

In a 2020 analysis led by the National Institute on Aging, (NIA), scientists suggest that bacteria that cause gum disease are also associated with the development of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, especially vascular dementia. The results were reported in the Journal of Alzheimer’s disease.

A 2016 study performed jointly by the University of Southampton and Kings College London also reported a link between gum disease and greater rates of cognitive decline in individuals with early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. Professor Clive Holmes, senior author from the University of Southampton, stated at its conclusion, “These are very interesting results which build on previous work we have done that shows that chronic inflammatory conditions have a detrimental effect on disease progression in people with Alzheimer’s disease. Our study was small and lasted for six months so further trials need to be carried out to develop these results. However if there is a direct relationship between periodontitis and cognitive decline, as this study suggests, then treatment of gum disease might be a possible treatment option for risk of Alzheimer’s.” Periodontitis, or gum disease, is common in older individuals and is likely more common in Alzheimer’s disease because of the reduced ability to take care of oral hygiene as the disease progresses. The increased levels of antibodies to periodontal bacteria are associated with increased levels of inflammatory molecules elsewhere in the body, which in turn has been linked to greater rates of cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease. In the Southampton study, researchers set out to determine whether periodontitis is associated with increased disease severity and/or with subsequent escalation of cognitive decline in individuals developing the disease.

Porphyromonas gingivalis is the most common culprit of gum disease. Studies suggest that plaques of beta-amyloid protein, a major hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease, may be produced as a response to this infection.

The NIA analysis revealed that older adults with signs of gum disease and mouth infections at baseline were more likely to develop Alzheimer’s during the study period. Among those 65 years or older, both Alzheimer’s diagnoses and deaths were associated with antibodies against the oral bacterium P. gingivalis, which can cluster with other bacteria such as Campylobacter rectus and Prevotella melaninogenica to further increase those risks. Researchers note that the Southampton study should be replicated with a larger cohort, as the precise means by which gum disease may be linked to cognitive decline are not

Ever-younger patients appearing with kidney stones

Dear Doctors: Our son had some of the symptoms of appendicitis. His lower right side was aching, and he was throwing up. At the emergency room, it turned out that he was passing a kidney stone. He’s only 13 years old — isn’t that much too young? How does he stop from getting more?

Dr. Elizabeth Ko Dr Eve Glazier ASK THE DOCTORS

Dear reader: It’s true that the average age for developing a first kidney stone is typically in the mid30s and ranges into the neighborhood of age 50 to 60. However, a growing number of physicians say they are now treating increasingly younger patients. This is occurring in our own practices, where we see more kidney stones in the 20 to 50 age population than we do in people who are 50plus. And, yes, we are also seeing young adolescents, like your son, with this painful condition. For those who are not familiar a kidney stone is a bit of hard debris that forms from the solid wastes that are dissolved in the urine. These include salts, urea, minerals and other inorganic compounds. If the balance between solid waste to liquid in the urine falls too low, crystals can form. Over time, they bond together and develop into hard,

stonelike objects. Kidney stones can be as small as a grain of sand and, while quite rare, may grow to as large as a golf ball. Stones can sit in the kidney undisturbed and unnoticed for years. But if they move into the ureter, which is the tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder, problems can arise. Tiny stones can pass through the ureter undetected. Stones up to about 5 millimeters, which is roughly the diameter of an adult ureter, may also be able to pass through, but can cause significant pain. The ureter has no flex, and the rough exterior and irregular size of a kidney stone can slow its passage. Stones can also become stuck. This blocks the flow of urine and forces it back into the kidney The

increasing pressure causes pain in the groin, back and belly It can also lead to infection. Treatment can include medications to help pass the stone and to manage pain, antibiotics to treat infection and medical procedures to break up or remove larger stones. And, unfortunately, having had a kidney stone increases the risk of a repeat. The reason why ever-younger patients are getting kidney stones is not yet clear However, our modern diet, high in added salt, is a leading suspect. Data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that children and young adults now far exceed the recommended sodium intake of 2,300 milligrams per day This skews the mineral balance in the urine, which, in turn, increases the risk of certain types of kidney stones. Not drinking enough water and being overweight also increase that risk. Changing your son’s diet may help reduce the risk of developing more kidney stones. This includes limiting salty and ultra-processed foods, going easy on animal proteins, eating calcium-rich foods, staying hydrated and maintaining a healthy weight. And be sure to alert your family doctor to this incident, as they can offer guidance specifically tailored to your son. Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla. edu, or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o UCLA Health Sciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024.

In the book, the protagonist, Quasimodo, is deaf, partially blind and has multiple physical disabilities, like a curved spine. The movie elides Quasimodo’s deafness and blindness while maintaining his physical disabilities, but each production of the musical has to make decisions about his portrayal. In some productions, deaf actors play Quasimodo. In many others, non-disabled actors inhabit the role.

Since casting the play, McNeese said that he made conscious choices given the actor who would be playing Quasimodo.

“From the beginning on stage, it’s made very clear that the people onstage are performers,” said McNeese. “There’s not the suspension of disbelief. We make it very clear that people are putting on this production for the audience.”

The actor who plays Quasimodo, Scott Don Bosco Mitchell, is not disabled and does not pretend to be. The production makes it clear that his hunchback is a prosthetic.

The musical itself is a blend of Hugo’s novel and the Disney movie soundtrack. The Disney version is unsurprisingly much lighter and kid-friendly than its source material.

“Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, who wrote the lyrics and the music for the Disney movie, wanted to do more with the story that tended more towards the darker side, like more of the book, and Disney like gave them a limit,” McNeese said.

This Broadway musical version was Menken and Schwartz’s opportunity to lean into the darker themes, write more music, and change the ending so not everyone lived happily ever after This means that the show is not as child-friendly as the Disney version, and parental guidance is strongly recommended.

“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” is typically staged in a big theater, which the Sullivan is not, but this show will pave the way for the Sullivan to do bigger shows in the future.

“We’ve been a box setup

TREATMENT

Continued from page 1C

fully transparent and other factors may play a part in cognitive decline alongside oral health Gum disease is an infection caused by bacteria that get under the gum tissue. Toxins from bacteria and the body’s response to infection can begin to destroy the gums and bones that support the teeth.

CALENDAR

Continued from page 1C

until now All of our sets have had walls and this is the first time we’ve used the entire space here,” said Dave Freneaux, chair of the Central Cultural Foundation, which helped found the theater “It’s a more grandiose show than we’ve ever done, so this is kind of our proof of concept that we can do big things in a small space.”

Freneaux has built all the sets for the theater’s shows until now, but for this show, he’s focusing on portraying the musical’s villain, Claude Frollo. The sets for this show take up practically all of the available space. The cast for the production, like all of the Sullivan’s shows, is composed of volunteers. This production includes the Sullivan’s largest cast to date, and some of the volunteers have grown up doing theater since they were young Tristan Olivier, who plays Clopin Trouillefou, the unofficial king of the Roma people, is also the understudy for Quasimodo. Olivier is a senior in high

According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, an estimated 42% of U.S. adults aged 30 years or older have periodontitis, with about 7.8% of those adults having severe periodontitis The American Dental Association recommends the practice of good oral hygiene daily, including brushing properly at least twice a day, using toothpaste, flossing, eating a healthy diet that limits sugary beverages and snacks, and visiting a dentist regu-

Victoria Young, licensed professional counselor The awards gala, coinciding with Women’s History Month, will take place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday at Drusilla Place Catering, 3482 Drusilla Lane, in Baton Rouge, and will include dinner and dancing. For gala tickets or a calendar, go to theshadesofsuccess.net and click on “Store.” Tickets are $85, single; and $600, table of eight. Calendars cost $20 and feature the women’s photos and biographies. The project is spearheaded by a group of African Ameri-

school and started theater in elementary school.

“It’s actually always been my dream show,” Olivier said of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”

But others started theater in adulthood, as is the case with Matthew Walker, who plays Captain Phoebus De Martin. He started acting as an outlet after a breakup, and he said that he treats rehearsal as an opportunity to learn from his more experienced castmates. Like the other volunteers at the theater, Walker has to incorporate the show’s rehearsal times three hours Monday through Thursday and four hours on Sundays — with his work schedule as part of the marketing team for the Rotolo’s brand.

“I balance it by not concentrating on anything else,” he said. “My house is a mess. I need to do my laundry I need to do my dishes.”

Email Serena Puang at serena.puang@ theadvocate.com.

larly for prevention and treatment of oral disease. Treatment for periodontitis includes professional cleaning, gum grafting, laser gum surgery and root planing.

Dana Territo is an Alzheimer’s advocate and author of “What My Grandchildren Taught Me About Alzheimer’s Disease.” She hosts “The Memory Whisperer.” Email her at thememorywhisperer@ gmail.com.

can journalists from Louisiana who had a vision of giving back to their community. They include Valentina Wilson, Virnado Woods, Chante Warren, Cecily Holland, Lena Foster and Donald Lee. Additionally, the calendar leadership team makes a financial donation to its charity of choice. This year, the team chose The Bridge Center for Hope in Baton Rouge.

By The Associated Press

Today is Monday, March 10, the 69th day of 2025. There are 296 days left in the year Today in history

On March 10, 1959, thousands of Tibetans rebelled against occupying Chinese forces, surrounding the Dalai Lama’s palace to protect him from potential harm. Fierce fighting between Tibetans and Chinese forces ensued in the following days, causing the Dalai Lama to flee Tibet for India, where he remains in exile today

On this date:

In 1496, Christopher Columbus concluded his second visit to the Western Hemisphere as he left Hispaniola for Spain.

In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln assigned Ulysses S. Grant, who had just received his commission as lieutenant-general, to the command of the Armies of the United States.

In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell’s assistant, Thomas Watson, heard

Bell say over his experimental telephone: “Mr Watson — come here — I want to see you” from the next room of Bell’s Boston laboratory; they were the first words ever conveyed by telephone.

In 1913, abolitionist and Underground Railroad “conductor” Harriet Tubman died of pneumonia in Auburn, New York.

In 1969, James Earl Ray pleaded guilty in Memphis, Tennessee, to assassinating civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr (Ray later repudiated that plea, maintaining his innocence until his death.)

In 1993, Dr David Gunn was killed outside the Pensacola Women’s Medical Services clinic by antiabortion activist Michael Griffin; it was the first killing attributed to a doctor’s role in providing abortion care.

In 2019, a Boeing 737 Max 8 operated by Ethiopian Airlines crashed shortly after takeoff from the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, killing all 157

PROVIDED PHOTO Dave Freneaux as Claude Frollo in a promotional photo for the Sullivan Theater’s Production of ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Tone down the rhetoric and bypass involvements that entail excessive behavior. Avoid situations that are risky or volatile. Do your best to get along with your associates.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) A passionate approach to life, love and the pastimes that bring you joy will improve your disposition and encourage friendships. Step away from controversy and toward what makes you smile.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Stop waiting for others and procrastinating. Refuse to let time pass you by; be the one to make the first move, engage in something new and exciting or step into a leadership position.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Be careful what you say or offer. If you fall short of fulfillment, someone will hold you to your promises or make you look bad. Stick close to home.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Take a serious look at your lifestyle, consider what brings you joy and what you'd like to walk away from. Let go of or change the dynamics of situations that are too demanding.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Research will pay off. Personal changes will offer clarity and revision and give you a purpose that makes life worth living. Love, personal gains and self-improvement are within reach.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Take the time to discover what's available to you. Put your energy into what most fascinates

you and fine-tune what you discover to help you achieve your goals. LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Create a safe place to think and develop what you want to do next. Look at the big picture and make choices that leave you feeling comfortable.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Implement activities that get you moving and stir up feelings that push you to follow your dreams. Go on a learning expedition, discover the ins and outs of what you want to pursue and take a wholehearted approach to doing something that makes you feel alive.

sAGIttARIus (nov 23-Dec 21) Not everyone you meet today will be on your side. Listen carefully and decipher what's valid or fits into your plans before you give in to persuasive manipulation.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Push forward aggressively and turn your back on meaningless and time-consuming situations. Protect your space, reputation and peace of mind. Let go of what's holding you back.

AQuARIus (Jan 20-Feb. 19) Take the plunge, and don't look back. Focus on what's ahead of you, be open and receptive to new beginnings and learn all you can to bring about the changes that make you happy.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

FAMILY CIrCUS

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

toDAy's cLuE: u EQuALs B

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

And erneSt

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

LAGoon

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

IngridBergmansaid,“Akissisalovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous.”

At the bridge table, if you find a lovely, extra,contract-fulfillingtrick,especially in a grand slam, your partner will give you a metaphorical kiss. In this deal, South barrels into seven spades. After West leads the heart queen, how should declarer continue?

If South had used a second dose of Blackwood and learned that two kings were missing, he would have stopped in six spades and ruined a good story (If you use Roman Key Card Blackwood, it is a good idea to treat an immediate response of four no-trump as regular Blackwood, not RKCB. To use RKCB in opener’s suit, make a forcing raise, then bid four no-trump on the second round.)

When in a grand slam, count winners. Here, South has only 12: six spades, two hearts, one diamond and three clubs Where might a 13th trick come from?

There is only one sensible chance: hearts. That requires a 4-3 heart break and three dummy entries: two for the heart ruffs in the closed hand and one to return to the dummy to cash the established heart. What are those entries? They must be one heart and two clubs. So, after winning the first trick on the

wuzzles

board, declarer must not touch trumps. He must immediately cash the second heart winner (discarding a diamond from hand) and ruff a heart Then he draws trumps, plays a club to dummy’s queen, ruffs another heart, leads a club to the ace, and pitches his second low diamond on the last heart. © 2025 by NEA, Inc., dist.

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

Each Wuzzle is a word riddle which creates a disguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD = GOOD AFTERNOON

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words

thought

“And they come to you as the people comes, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear your words, but they will not do them: for with their mouth they show much love but their heart goes after their covetousness.” Ezekiel 33:31

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

NORTHDALE ACADEMY10755

BREC-CADILLAC

1-085A BREC -HOWELL PLACE GYM 7717 HOWELL BLVD

1-085B BREC -HOWELL PLACE GYM 7717

BLVD 1-086A SCOTLANDVILLE MIDDLE MAGNET SCHOOL 9147 ELM GROVE GARDEN DR 1-086B SCOTLANDVILLE MIDDLE MAGNET SCHOOL 9147 ELM GROVE GARDEN DR

1-087A TWIN OAKS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 819 TRAMMEL AVE

1-087B TWIN OAKS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 819 TRAMMEL AVE

1-088 LABELLE AIRE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 12255 TAMS DR

1-089 BREC -FOREST PARK COMMUNITYREC. CENTER 13900 SHARRELLS FERRYRD

1-090A BREC -FOREST PARK COMMUNITYREC.CENTER 13900 SHARRELLS FERRYRD

1-090B BREC -FOREST PARK COMMUNITY REC.CENTER 13900 SHARRELLS FERRYRD

1-091A RYAN ELEMENTARYSCHOOL 10337 ELM GROVE GARDEN

1-091B RYAN ELEMENTARYSCHOOL 10337 ELM GROVE GARDEN

1-092A RYAN ELEMENTARYSCHOOL 10337 ELM GROVE GARDEN

1-092B RYAN ELEMENTARYSCHOOL 10337 ELM GROVE GARDEN

1-093 GLEN OAKS PARK ELEMENTARYSCHOOL 5656 LANIER DR 1-094 1ST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH SCOTLANDVILLE 1246 ROSENWALD RD

1-095A CRESTWORTH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 11200 AVENUE F

1-095B

2-031 BAKER TOWN HALL3325 GROOM RD

2-032 BREC -CHURCH STREET PARK 3201 CHURCH ST 2-033 GAS UTILITY DISTRICT #1 10633 GREENWELL SPRINGS PORT HUDSON RD

2-034

Jury Type: Civil Judge: Tonya S. Lurry Date: Monday,March 24, 2025

ABRAM, DONOVAN JERELL 4735 MARYLAND ST ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-4249 05/17/1973

ALEXANDER, TAMMY REDDITT 4720 LANDRY ST ST GABRIEL, LA 70776 08/11/1962

ALLEN, KYLIE ANNE 58947 DARBY AVEPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3401 10/30/1985

AMBEAU, GABRIELLE SEYMONE 1300 MADEWOOD DR ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-5215 04/13/2006

ANDERSON, GEROID D11805 SPARKS LN MARINGOUIN,LA70757-4003 12/30/1964

ANDERSON, JALEN DARELLE 77350 ANGELLOZ AVEMARINGOUIN, LA 70757 02/02/1995

ANDERSON JR, ROGERS HENRY57975 BELAIRE ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764 04/29/1982

ASHCRAFT JR, JOSEPH ALTON59655 HWY 1148, #154 PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764 05/15/1992

ASHFORD, JAMIE PAUL 65725 TOT CARLINE DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-7302 05/20/1972

AUCOIN, CAROLYN R36410 HWY 75 PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-7705 08/06/1963

BAILEY,CHARMELLE T25710 TAREK LN PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764 10/06/1969

BAKER, ANNETTE FRIENDSHIP4665 MARTIN LUTHERKING JR PKWY ST GABRIEL, LA 70776 09/11/1954

BANKS, MALEK JAWANZA 57335 CPL HERMAN BROWN JR DR BAYOU GOULA, LA 70788-3122 01/12/1993

BARBIER, SARAH ELIZABETH 23775 KIRTLEY DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5538 07/25/2006

BATTON, CARONDELET LEWIS 33555 BOUDREAUX ST WHITE CASTLE, LA 707882726 11/16/1969

BATTON, JEFFERYADAM 955-A RIVERRD SUNSHINE, LA 70780-3101 06/22/1965

BAUER, CAMILLE ELISE1825 HWY 75 SUNSHINE,LA70780 09/22/1992

BAYHAM, ANGELLE MARIE 76270 ROSEDALE RD ROSEDALE, LA 70772-3527 08/10/1991

BAYHAM, MELONIE E24505 KIRTLEY DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5508 08/14/1962

BELLUE, TONYASHEREE 59173 MAPLE ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3815 04/14/1975

BERAUD, KYRA NICOLE 76425 COREY RD ROSEDALE, LA 70772 04/20/1992

BERTHELOT,BRAD JOSEPH 24220 CALVIN ST #APLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3612 01/23/1967

BESSIX, DERRICK LENARD 77320 COMSTOCK ST MARINGOUIN,LA70757 03/15/1972

BETHLY, JONATHAN QUINN56604 CPL HERMAN BROWN JR DR BAYOU GOULA, LA 70788-3115 08/19/1961

BOSLEY,KASMA TANEAL 57731 REVILLETOWN DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 707647502 08/18/1992

BOURGEOIS, JOSEPH R22930 WEST ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-2209 10/04/1952

BOUVAY ALIXES ALEXANDRA 25125 PATUREAU LN PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5904 02/22/2001

BREAUX, SHALONDA LESHAE 57710 ELI CRAIG ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-4543 07/13/1975

BREKEEN, BROCK RANDALL 25373 CLEMENT ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-4405 11/29/1984

BROCKSMITH, CRYSTAL

KINBERGER 58145 LABAUVE AVEPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3235 12/03/1951

BUTLER, JERAMIE TRAMAINE 24640 HEBERTSTPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-4030 02/23/1982

BUTLER, PERRYONEAL 58537 JETSON AVEPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-4233 07/21/1953

BUTLER, SHALAWN DOMINIQUE 57780 ELI CRAIG ST #1PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-4525 09/02/2000

CALLEGAN, PAUL A58145 HYMEL ST WHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-4200 02/03/1969

CAMPESI, KATHRYN E33860 HWY 405 WHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-5403 09/06/1958

CARLIN, SAVANNAH SIMONEAUX 38630 HWY 75 PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-7727 12/23/1982

CARLINE, CHERYL P65665 SHELBY KDRPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-7306 03/05/1955

CARRINGONE, BRETT DAVID 20216 DANIELLNPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5304 06/09/1964

CARTER, JAYDEN MICHAEL1430 BUR OAK DR ST GABRIEL, LA 70776 02/22/2006

CARTER, MONCELLEANA LUCHANA 53275 POINT ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-6957 10/18/1976

CAVALIER, JESSICA CALLEGAN 35550 RICHLAND RD WHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-3810 03/27/1990

CHENEVERT, LANCE MICHEAL 31535 HWY 75 PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-6125 07/25/1991

COKLIN, CHUCKY 1595 BESSONLNSUNSHINE,LA70780-3524 06/07/1968

COLEMAN, APRILDENISE 54985 TASSIN DR WHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-2331 12/11/1987

COLEMAN, BRIAN KEITH 5360 BETTY MARTIN DR #T14CARVILLE, LA 707212129 05/28/1997

COLEMAN, PATRICIA ANN 32365 MAGGIO ST WHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-2429 01/03/1978

COLEMAN, SHAQUILLE MIKHAIL 6610 HWY 74 #1506 ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-4571 01/06/1991

CONERLY, DOUGLAS WAYNE 39001 BAYOU PIGEONRDPLAQUEMINE, LA 707647745 10/14/1958

CORDOVA, ROY LOGAN 57713 PLAQUEMINE ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-2535 06/06/2003

CUSHING JR, GEORGE EDWARD 265 SOUTH CLUB AVESTGABRIEL, LA 70776-4439 03/14/1970

DAIGLE, DEANNA N20730 CHARLESORY DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 707645318 11/09/1964

DAIGLE SR, TRAVIS MICHAEL35365 FIFTY FOOTRDWHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-4409 07/31/1975

DANDRIDGE, DONALD C31851 LACROIX RD WHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-3620 11/23/1960

DAUZART, SHEILA ANN 23735 CHURCH ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3305 10/27/1962

DAVID, BRAYDEN NICHOLAS 27035 BRADY LN PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5949 12/10/1999

DAVIS, EMILYLEDOUX 260 SOUTH CLUB AVESTGABRIEL, LA 70776-4439 02/15/1984

DAVIS, MEGANROSE 33730 HWY 75 PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-7205 08/16/1998

DAVIS, PEARL LEBAN 57705 FORT ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3321 12/23/1955

DAVIS SR, ROBERTLEE 25020 PATUREAU LN PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5903 01/24/1958

DAVIS, SHIRLEY AMBER 57930 CASTRO ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-4306 08/19/1993

DELAUNE, JOHN DAVID 25342 DICKINSONRDPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-4416 11/06/1959

DESHOTEL, TORYMICHAEL21835 TALBOTDR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5211 09/27/1987

DESLATTE, DEAN J60625 BAYOU RD PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-6025 01/09/1964

DEVILLE, BARBARA M32845-A BAYOUSORRELRDPLAQUEMINE, LA 707647124 07/15/1968

DEVILLIER, MARYBETH S58340 DESOBRYSTPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3502 12/16/1966

DUPONT,MICHAEL J58265 CANAL ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3618 10/15/1959

EDWARDS, ERIC O32485 SONNY BARBIERSTWHITE CASTLE, LA 707882413 12/24/1990

EDWARDS, LOIS A58183 PLAQUEMINE ST #B PLAQUEMINE, LA 707642734 04/06/1966

EVANS, ALICIA DEANNE 57785 FOUNDRYSTPLAQUEMINE,LA70764-2401 04/09/1977

FALGOUST,JODI FREMIN 101 TIGERDRSTGABRIEL, LA 70776-4445 11/19/1982

FAVORITE, RACHELLE

TRUSCLAIR 11125 HWY 77 MARINGOUIN, LA 70757-3504 09/28/1970

FERGUSON SR, MICHAEL STEPHEN 23956 DORIS DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3406 11/12/1952

FLATAU, ANGELA ROBERTS 57910 HOMESTEAD DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-2015 08/27/1963

FLEMING, LARRYAMBROSE 695 BAYOU PAUL LN ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-5410 03/29/1956

FLEMING, ROLAND A22680 AIDAN RD PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5253 08/04/1954

FLETCHER, LASHONDA MASON1675 RAVIER LN SUNSHINE,LA70780-3519 05/10/1978

FOURROUX, CLAIRE ELIZABETH 21480 HWY 77 GROSSE TETE, LA 70740-3507 07/22/2002

FRANCIS, GERMAINE BERNARD 57958 MCARTHUR ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-4330 09/18/1980

FRAZIER, DAJON M4870 LANDRYSTSTGABRIEL, LA 7077605/31/2004

FRAZIER, DARRIELLE 4745 LANDRYSTSTGABRIEL, LA 70776-4246 06/04/1998

GANNFORS, LEESA LARUE 58160 SHERBURNE ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-4014 02/26/1993

GARVIN, KAYLA FARR 24645 HIGH SCHOOLST PLAQUEMINE, LA 707644035 12/28/1982

GAUDET,CLINT ALLEN 36350 HWY 75 PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-7704 03/10/1976

GAUTREAUX, NICHOLASCADE 23150 SHORT ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-2429 02/09/1995

GAUTREAUX, WENDELL 17825 HWY 77 GROSSE TETE, LA 70740 12/05/1959

GEORGETOWN,OLIVER JAMES25211 PATUREAU LN PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5905 10/11/1967

GERACE, ROBERTWARREN 1030 DAISY AVESTGABRIEL, LA 70776-5127 02/06/1951

GIAUQUE, JEFF SCOTT 27005 BRADY LN PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5949 04/03/1963

GOURGUES, BRYANJOSEPH 58245 HOMESTEAD DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5202 06/10/1961

GOURGUES, LEE ANN 22955 TALBOTDR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5222 11/10/1976

GREEN, ARRIO DANDRE 32080 DORCY RD WHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-3550 11/17/1982

GREEN, ASIA GABRIELLE 77000 JESSIE ROMIG DR GROSSE TETE, LA 70740 04/28/2004

GREEN, LISA EILEEN 5405 SMITH ST ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-4240 07/08/1964

GREEN, LISA L25905 TENANT RD #B-6 PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-6543 02/10/1970

GREEN, TERELL JOSEPH 2077 RAVIER LN SUNSHINE,LA70780-3535 06/04/1981

GREVIOUS, ASHLEY SHONTEL10745 RAILROAD DR MARINGOUIN,LA70757 09/11/1986

GRIFFIN, JOANETTE MARIE 58718 ANNEXSTPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3046 02/03/1954

GUEHO, MARCIE DUPONT 58245 CANAL ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3618 09/07/1985

GUERIN, DONNA TULLIER 60225 BAYOURDPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-6021 10/15/1955

GUILLORY, BENNIE F58515 MILLE AVEPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3569 10/26/1953

GUILLORY, HEAVEN LEIGH 23750 KIRTLEY DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5538 10/10/2002

GUZMAN, LAURENCE 59215 RIVERWEST DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-6552 07/02/1957

HALL, ASIA NISHAWN 58722 WW HARLEAUX ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 707642932 12/16/2005

HAMILTON, DONALD JAMES24260 DES GLAISESSTPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-4629 12/25/1935

HANSON, RICHARD TODD 65220 MENDOZADRPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-6222 09/05/1973

HAROLD, HALEIGH JEAN 1465 TASAJILLO DR ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-5337 08/26/1994

HARRIS, LAWRENCE RAY59136 WW HARLEAUX ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 707642967 09/21/1969

HAYNES, CASANDRIA DAVIS 58667 CAPTAIN T HARRIS ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764 04/06/1964 HEBERT, ANGELLE WATTS 22195 TALBOTDR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-5214 12/26/1970

CAROL DEVILLIER 39227 BAYOUPIGEON RD PLAQUEMINE, LA 707647747 08/05/1962

HEBERT, CHRISTOPHER DOYLE 6860 MANCHAC RD ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-5425 11/03/1990

HEBERT, MICKY N59135 DARBY AVEPLAQUEMINE,

HILL,

HOFFMAN,TAMELA

HOLLAND, CHARLENE 39575 HWY 75 PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-7736 05/01/1966

HURDLE, CARSON J77300 HURDLE RD ROSEDALE, LA 70772 05/31/2005

INGRAM,ANTHONY KALE 5660 MAGNOLIA DE PERCY DR CARVILLE, LA 70721 07/23/2000

JOHNSON,CHALAUNDER NICHOLAS 58120 DIVISION ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-250606/04/1978

JOHNSON,DARREN DUANE 6610 HWY 74 #606 ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-456702/15/1999

JOHNSON,GERALYNN FAYE 57345 CPL HERMAN BROWN JR DR BAYOU GOULA, LA 70788-3122 06/29/1963

JOHNSON, MAYLANDODELL 10730 CHURCH ST MARINGOUIN, LA 70757-310607/28/1978

JOHNSON,TONNENT LEE 13250 BSHADY GROVE AVEROSEDALE, LA 70772 04/01/1984

JONES, BAYLEE RASHAE 77460 COMSTOCK ST MARINGOUIN, LA 70757-3729 11/10/1995

JONES, JEMARCUS DEVONTE 24222 ENGOLIO ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3743 04/25/1997

JONES, JOSEPH 57778 TRUE HOPE LN PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764 07/21/1947

JONES, WARNE MICHELLE 23069 JACOB ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-2318 12/08/1992

KELSON, KIMORA SANAA 32670 SHERLEY RDENNIS ST WHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-2512 02/24/2006

KENNEY,SARAH E32095 HWY 75 PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-6130 07/11/1994

KIMBLE, DANA RIVET 59380 EVANGELINE AVEPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-341803/22/1963

KLEINPETER, CALEB SETH 21450 HWY 77 GROSSE TETE, LA 70740-3507 09/16/1981

LAMB, ELEEN 77490 COMSTOCK ST MARINGOUIN, LA 70757 06/10/1983

LANDRY, BRITTANY MARIE58040 LABAUVE AVE# BPLAQUEMINE, LA 707643243 05/05/1997

LANDRY, SHARI C58130 ELM ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-320402/25/1974

LEBLANC,CLAYTON JOSEPH WILBERT 24114 BAIST ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-324510/23/2000

LEBLANC, JAMAYA BRIELLE 6610 HWY 74 #1206 ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-4570 08/17/2006

LEONARD, BRENDAN ANTHONY35315 FIFTY FOOT RD WHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-440906/24/1997

LEONARD, STACEY J56080 MEDINE RD WHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-443001/31/1971

MANISCALCO, GIANNA

ELIZABETH 59055 ISLAND DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-743406/07/2005

MARTINEZ, HUEY VINCENT 33470 HWY 75 PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-720101/22/1935

MCDONALD, PAMELA ANN 11340 HWY 76 MARINGOUIN, LA 70757-3307 05/08/1954

MELANCON,TISHEKA ARTEZ 58130 SHERBURNE ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-4014 06/01/1989

MICHELLI, HUNTER J25505 SPRING ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-631811/16/1995

MILLER, ANNA ISABEL 4450 HWY 75 ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-420212/10/2003

MILLER, MARYB 24685 BELLEMOOR DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-382310/28/1953

MIMS, HAROLD11515 BAYOU RD MARINGOUIN, LA 70757-360106/06/1968

MITCHELLSR, SHEDRICK D24820 SINGLETON ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-433406/22/1981

NEAL, AMBER CHLOE 11945 SPARKS LN MARINGOUIN, LA 70757 08/18/1999

NELSON, BRIDGETTE RENEE 710BAYOU PAUL LN ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-5402 12/21/1987

NORMAN, SHAWN MICHAEL 17415 SIDNEY RD GROSSE TETE, LA 70740-300207/20/1993

NORRIS JR, ISAAC CURTIS 10950 VENTRESS DR MARINGOUIN, LA 70757 06/21/1984

NORTHERN, CATRINIA HAWKINS76295 GRIFFIN DR ROSEDALE, LA 70772-383310/22/1974

PEREZ, PAULETTE ZULEYMA 56400 HWY 404 WHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-431802/16/1989

PITRE JR, ARTHURB 62735 BELLEVIEW RD PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-631005/21/1956

PONSON,THOMASINEC 33045 ADAMS DR WHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-261909/16/1975

PRATHER, ALAN D1370 CROCHET ST SUNSHINE, LA 70780-3214 08/13/1962

PRIMEAUX JR, DONALD JOSEPH 1010 DAISY AVESTGABRIEL, LA 70776-5127 06/05/1970

PRUSKI, JEREMY DALE 540 SOUTH CLUB AVESTGABRIEL, LA 70776-445204/01/1975

PUHL, LORI C24604 PECAN PLACE DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 707643804 06/29/1962

QUINN, DEONTE KEON 6610 HWY 74 #307 ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-4566 09/19/1996

RAMAGOS, SALLYS 36035 RICHLAND RD WHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-424408/06/1961

RATTLER, MOLLIE FAYE 76465 COREY RD ROSEDALE, LA 70772 03/15/1967

RAY, REGGIE JERTELL 32670 LEONA AVEWHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-2516 03/30/1990

REAUX, HAILEY 59155 DARBY AVEPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3403 09/09/1998

RUFFINS, WANDA K25020 HWY 405 PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-7504 06/24/1972

SCOTT,CAROLYN DENISE 58090 NICHOLAS ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-223009/07/1974

SCOTT,MYESHA 5585 POINT CLAIR RD CARVILLE, LA 70721-210709/13/1991

SCOTT,STACEY C10925 MILL ST MARINGOUIN, LA 70757 05/21/1982

SERF,FREDERICK14515 HWY 77 ROSEDALE, LA 70772 08/07/1955

SIMMONS, DERRICK LEMAR 24725 HUEY ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-412912/08/1983

SIMMONS, RAYWAYNE 32175 HWY 75 #23-C PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-7100 02/01/1960

SIMPSON,LESTER M23960 FLORENCE DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3410 07/15/1958

SMITH,KENDRICK 58020 DESOBRYSTPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3624 08/16/1985

SMITH,KIMBERLYCOOPER 7455 BAYOU PAUL RD ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-5727 11/22/1958

SMITH,RAKHIA J15340 HARRIS ST ROSEDALE, LA 70772 08/13/2002

STEWART, DEMARIUS 54850 TANOOS ST WHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-201411/10/1999

STRICKLAND, KAREN VAUGHN38940 HWY 75 PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-773004/15/1974

TATE, JAMES 23435 GAUTHIER ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-2665 09/12/1983

TEED III, DONALD FRED 1104 MADRID AVESTGABRIEL, LA 70776-533201/25/1994

THOMAS, BARBARA A33330 BOWIE ST WHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-271704/08/1971

THOMAS, ROBIN REESE 58205 LABAUVE AVEPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3119 02/25/1969

THOMPSON,CHARMAINEMARIE5430-B SMITH ST ST GABRIEL, LA 70776 04/29/1962

TILLMAN, TRESIA PATRICE 77865 BELMONT LN MARINGOUIN, LA 70757 07/10/1974

TORRENT, CLAIRE GUILLOT 29830 HWY 405 BAYOU GOULA, LA 70788 04/21/1970

VERRET,LALANDE HENDRY58630 DELACROIX AVEPLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-3528 04/06/1971

VINCE, AARON WAYNE 13705 HWY 411 MARINGOUIN, LA 70757-411203/24/1970

VONDO SR, DONALD RAY24820 JOHNSON ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-4322 12/24/1957

WALKER SR, BRYANKEITH 23440 RICH ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-2644 06/01/1966

WALKER, CORNELL CLINTON 24760 STASSI RD #D PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764 04/24/1976

WARD, MILISSA ANN 10980 MILL ST MARINGOUIN, LA 70757 07/04/1966

WEBB, JESSICA PATRICE 77525 HOOPER ST MARINGOUIN, LA 70757 03/05/1986

WEST,DELLICIA TRESHAYE10400 GROSSE TETE DR MARINGOUIN, LA 70757 01/30/1989

WHITAKER, AARON MICHAEL 54995 TASSIN DR WHITE CASTLE, LA 70788-2331 10/10/1984

WILLIAMS JR, CLARENCE FRAIZER 1545 BESSON LN SUNSHINE, LA 70780-3524 04/05/1995

WILLIAMS-GREAVIS, ARIEL CHANTELL 77220 COLEMAN DR MARINGOUIN, LA 70757 04/16/2002

WILSON, COREY W58553 WARE DR PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-4247 08/16/1969

WILSON, JAMARCUSLIONEL 6220 MARGARET DR ST GABRIEL, LA 70776 08/13/1993

YORK, JENNIFER DESHAN 4925 MARYLAND ST ST GABRIEL, LA 70776-4251 05/24/1975

ZERINGUE, MARILYN GUERCIO 26065 TENANT RD PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-6539 07/01/1954

ZITO II, ANDREW JOSEPH 60205 GROSSE TETE ST PLAQUEMINE, LA 70764-463410/22/1997

Juror Count: 200

Or

FRIDAY MARCH14 5-8PM

East BatonRouge Parish Librarywelcomesreaders to exploresportsand mentorship with OneBookOne Community 2025 selection

By Amanda McElfresh | amcelfresh@theadvocate.com

This articleisbrought to youbythe East BatonRouge

Readersofall ages areinvited to participateinthe East Baton RougeParishLibrary’s 19th annual OneBookOne Community initiativethroughoutMarch andApril

This year’s selected titleis Season of Life:AFootballStar, A Boy, AJourney to ManhoodbyJeffreyMarx. Thebookfollows the coachingjourney of JoeEhrmann,aformerdefensive star forthe BaltimoreColts,asheleads theGilmanHighSchoolfootballteam with lessonsoflove, kindness andservice to others

“Thisbookhas lessonsand themes that everyone canrelateto,” said MickiTalbot, EBRPLPublicRelations Coordinator.“Over the last fewyears,we’ve chosen books that we feel will interest our communitythe most. We’veselectedonesabout Louisianaoutdoors andnature, bluesmusic andfoodhistory.This year,wedecided it wastimetodofoo we realizedthat’sone of themainpas communitythatwehadn’ttouched on this initiative.Wealsobelieve that andnurturing ouryouth is reallyimp this book hassomegreat lessonsabo

Oneofthe main reasonsOne Book nity hasremainedsopopular in Bato nearlytwodecadesisthatitbringsto from allwalks of life andintroduces to bookstheymight otherwisenot

“I’vedefinitelyheard people sa of thebooks we’veselectedhaveb favorites,”Talbotsaid. “It’salsog that many people read thebookina theircoworkers,friends or family aboutreading thebook. It’s also ab opportunities fordeeperdiscussions themeand howitrelates to theirown

To help facilitate thosediscussions Book OneCommunity,EBRPL wi throughout Marchand April. Some

Parish Library.

•TailgateKickoff Party, Friday March14, 5p.m.to8p.m., Main LibraryatGoodwood

•RonnieRantz:MyLifeInSports, WednesdayMarch 19, 6p.m., Main LibraryatGoodwood

•Strongheart with Jill Garner,Sunday, March23, 3p.m., Main LibraryatGoodwood

•TailgateRecipeExchange, Saturday,March 29,3p.m., Eden Park Branch Library

•AuthorTalkwithJeffrey Marx,SundayApril 27,3 p.m. to 5p.m., Main LibraryatGoodwood

Jeffrey Marx

In addition,several football-themedcraft activities forchildren andteens willtakeplace at variousEBRPL branches,including opportunitiestomakefeltpennants, laser-cut dfootballs,bookmarks andmore. ulllistofactivitiescan be foundatwww nebook.org. lEBRPL locationswillhaveadditionalcopies ason of Life availablefor checkout this spring lversionsare also availableonLibby,the yapp sonGianelloni, EBRPLcommunity programbrarian,saidalistofrecommendedbookswith dthemesisavailable on www.readonebook Thelibrary hasalsocurated digitalresources osewho want to delvedeeperintocontent tsports, teamwork or mentorship hyourlibrary card,you canaccessHiveclass, al sports encyclopedia with videos andtutonseveral activities,including yoga,soccer, ,dance andmore,”she said.“We also have s- andexercise-relatedmagazines available on andonline. LinkedIn Learningfeaturesa Thirty Minute Mentorswhere successful outmentorship. We have so many resources ,and this is agreat wayfor people to go deeper into specifictopicsthatare of interest to them.”

NATIONALLYRANKED STAR-RATED LIBRARY SYSTEM 10 Years Of Stars!

With morethan 311,000 cardholders, 69% of the community uses the librarytocheck out materials,download items,and access computers.

Each year,the community attends thousandsofprograms and meetings, uses Wi-Fi, worksin house,and MUCHMORE…

OPEN LIBRARY 14 convenient locations areopendaily…. 250,000 Librarypatrons have checked items out in thelast 12 months!

Outreach servicesand the digital librarybring thelibrary to those who cannotcometous with 4bookmobiles serving 100’s of pre-schools, retirement centers,etc.

2024BYTHE NUMBERS Libraries areBTR in BatonRouge

PATRON COUNTISALMOST 70% OF PARISH POPULATION OVERALLVISITOR GATE COUNT ROSE TO 1,758,026 22,862 NEWLIBRARY CARDS ISSUED

894,588 REFERENCE QUESTIONS ANSWERED 2,058,000+ EBRPL WEBSITE HITS 908,213 WI-FI SESSIONS 5,814 MEETINGROOM BOOKINGSFOR 95,155 ATTENDEES

5,191 IN-HOUSE PROGRAMS WITH 95,458 ATTENDEES DATABASEACCESSED 41.1 MILLION TIMES 2,850,940 ITEMS CIRCULATED

MAKERSPACES WERE USED BY 3,471 PATRONS 11TH ANNUAL BATONROUGE MAKER FAIRE® COMPLETED THE NEW SOUTH BRANCE LIBRARY& SCOTLANDVILLEBRANCH LIBRARYARCHIVES ANNEX NEWLIBRARYDIRECTOR KATRINA STOKES BATONROUGE

OUTREACH SERVICES RECORDED 2,381 STOPS